


The Dreamscape

by HongmoonDescendant (SugarCherrySundea)



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Multi, WE GONNA SAVE ALL YA'LL BITCHES, except for the ones who don't deserve it bc OBVIOUSLY, ok there will be angst too hehe, this is SO self indulgent it's just SILLY, you want SOFT? YOU WANT SOFT? WELL HERE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2020-07-08 03:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 77,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarCherrySundea/pseuds/HongmoonDescendant
Summary: An AU where the unfortunate gen from a destined failed timeline are taken in by a benevolent dreamweaver. They live in comfort and happiness, and learn to harness their new magical abilities, advancing their talents to new heights.Though this wondrous world is filled with light and splendor, the darkness of the unfortunate gen's world will try its best to rob them of their newfound happiness.





	1. Dearly Beloved

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little AU I've had for some time now, even before Way of Xia and Blood and Vengeance. In celebration of B&V reaching 500+ hits, here's the release of the first chapter of this silly lil AU. uwu
> 
> Arisa, Kathrine, and Neomi are my magical OC's - I hope you come to like them! I have other whimsical OC's on the way. We'll be delving into all sorts of magic as we work to save the other asoue characters from this doomed timeline.
> 
> my tumblr: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/  
> Read my other AU's when you get the chance! :^)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every story has a rocky beginning, and for the Baudelaires, it was quite rocky indeed.  
> Thankfully, a benevolent being caught sight of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my newest AU!! It's gonna be soft as hell, don't you worry. :^)
> 
> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> Way of Xia AU:  
> (https://archiveofourown.org/works/17948612/chapters/42387860)
> 
> Blood and Vengeance AU:  
> (https://archiveofourown.org/works/18834166/chapters/44694997)
> 
> Contact me: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> DAOKO GIRL music video
> 
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

The Baudelaires slumped sadly onto the rickety bed that Olaf had “provided” them, staring at the gray, molding wood floor at their feet.

How could this have happened to them? Their parents, their home, their things - all gone.

Gone up in smoke.

Just like that.

The night’s dinner ended horribly, with Sunny being nearly flung across the table, and Klaus being slapped across the face by the wicked man. The demon was even wearing rings on that hand, so the poor boy had cuts across his cheek. Violet had tried the best of her ability to doctor her brother’s cheek, and Sunny was still shaking from the entire ordeal.

They would have never expected their lives to come to this point. The Baudelaires were betting on living out their lives comfortably, with little to no disturbances or vile ordeals to deal with.

However, this was not how their story would be, so it seemed.

They were trapped in their own personal hell, the outside world so ignorant of what was truly going on inside the walls of this bleak and morbid mansion.

Well, what seemed to be _left_ of a mansion. Olaf clearly did not take very good care of it.

The Baudelaires decided it would be best to go to Mulctuary Money Management in the morning to speak with Mr. Poe.

Though, that was assuming he’d be of any help.

Violet decided not to get her hopes up.

Klaus didn’t sleep well that night.

* * *

A mysterious figure bathed in pastel sat within a dim, faintly glittering room filled from top to bottom with hundreds of books, scrolls, and even tomes. Her seat was before a rather large, translucent, floating orb.

She ran her fingers across it, looking through the various images that crossed her eyes.

The woman looked bored. Tired. The long rabbit ears on her head drooped downward.

Her children hadn’t come to see her in quite some time. Granted, they were busy with their own worlds - they were each heroes in their own right.

However, it wouldn’t kill them to come and see their mother every once in a while. Perhaps she could call them? She was sure her eldest daughter could take a break from her pop idol work - granted she wasn’t doing any agent work.

She wondered on and on about each of her five adopted children until....

A pathetic sight slid into view.

A world so dim, dull, and sad, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

And like all other worlds, it had different timelines.

“What is… the main timeline?” The woman spoke up. The orb gently glowed.

Three children were seen. They looked… she couldn’t think of a word great enough to describe the sadness etched onto their faces.

She opened her mouth slightly, her eyes solemn.

_I need to help these children… they are trudging through a fate of which they do not deserve._

“...Will they be safe in this timeline?” She continued.

The globe sent a positive chime.

She thought for a moment.

Was there room? Oh, blessed, of _course_ there was room! She could simply make more! This was her little pocket in the universe, she had the capabilities. What was another little batch of orphaned children she could care for?

Especially ones who looked as if they dearly needed it.

“...Is there a failed timeline?” The pastel woman requested, her fluffy rabbit tail twitching nervously.

The orb was silent for a moment, it dimmed, and then after a few moments…

It displayed an image of a dark room with the same three children. There was something different about this timeline - instead of the usual bruise she had seen on the boy’s cheek from the main timeline - his cheek was badly cut in this one.

“...Is this timeline…” She began, her mouth drying up, “...Is this world… doomed to die?”

The globe gave a sad chime.

Her curiosity pulled at her heart. Did she… really want to see how?

No.

Not now.

_...Not yet._

The woman stood up from her seat, her mass of soft, pink hair tumbling down behind her,

“Allow me the wisdom of this world’s timeline.” She began, immediately running her fingers through the globe quickly,

“I’ll save those children.”

* * *

The Baudelaires awoke the next morning to another long list of chores left behind by Count Olaf. Though they were relieved that he and his troupe were nowhere to be found, they still had work to do.

Clearly, more than just chores kind of work.

Violet placed a sorrowful hand on her younger brother’s cheek,

“How is it?” She asked worriedly. Klaus looked up at his elder sister and furrowed his brows,

“Horrible. Awful! This is all _awful!_ What did we do to deserve this! _We didn’t deserve this - mother and father clearly didn’t want us to be here!_ If they hadn’t of died, we wouldn’t be here! I want to go _home,_ Violet! I want to go HOME!” The boy began to cry. Violet bit her lip, forcing back her own tears.

The boy looked pathetically down to the floor,

“ _I just want… to go… home…”_

Violet swallowed, “I know… I know.”

She turned to Sunny, who was sitting on the kitchen’s counter,

“Let’s go to the bank. We need to inform Mr. Poe of our situation.”

“Like that’ll do us any good.” Klaus spat. Sunny nodded, “Garble!” Which meant, “ _The garbage banker man won’t help us!”_

Violet sighed, “But it’s all we can do for now, Sunshine.”

* * *

The woman quickly stepped out of her library tower late that same morning, holding a smaller floating orb in her hand,

“Kathrine, are you there?” She asked as she walked on the creme-colored cobblestone path to her cottage.

She heard some sass and noise on the other end, and a small voice came through,

“ _Rissy!_ Sweetie! Hiiii! Y’know, you like, only call me when you like.. _need me_ or somesuch.”

The woman furrowed her brows at the orb, “Funny. Now, listen closely - and I hope you aren’t busy.”

“Honey, I haven’t been busy since I left the council.” Kathrine giggled sarcastically.

The woman rolled her eyes, “There is some important business I’ll need you to attend to, alright? It involves… messing with some documents.”

“...You’re not adopting more kids, are you?” Kathrine spoke haughtily.

The woman scrunched her face in agitation, “ _These children are in_ **_danger_ ** _, Kathrine._ Besides, what do you care how many children I adopt?”

There was an exasperated sigh from the other end,

“Sure, whatever, I don’t care. What is it that you like, need me to do?”

The woman breathed deeply,

“Listen carefully, and try not to scuff this up.”

* * *

The Baudelaires arrived at the bank and met with Mr. Poe, who was currently _very_ busy, apparently.

“Mr. Poe, _please,_ Count Olaf slapped my brother - _look at the cuts on his cheek!”_ Violet cried in desperation.

Mr. Poe was simply not listening, as always. He uttered two useless words and answered the phone.

The door behind them opened suddenly, and the hook-handed man stepped in.

The Baudelaires immediately felt even _more_ hopeless.

Long dissertation short - they were dragged back to Count Olaf’s mansion.

Usually, that would end this portion, but there was a small, fluffy ball of sass that had appeared shortly after the Baudelaires were taken away.

The small faerie touched down onto Mr. Poe’s desk, and started to wave her hands around,

“Hey, Mr. _Biiiiitch!_ Can’t seeeeee meeeee? ...Fantabulous, that’s all I care about.” Kathrine babbled on. She then looked around the grey, boring room with its dozens of steel drawers and locks.

“La-dee-daa, let’s take care of business-” Kathrine hummed, fluttering over to a folder on the far end of Mr. Poe’s desk - 

The Baudelaire file.

“Bingo bongo.” Kathrine spoke. She then walked around the file, clapping her tiny hands together and rubbing them, producing a good amount of glitter and glow.

She then flung it onto the file, to which it responded by shining brightly.

“That should do it.” The fluffy faerie said triumphantly. Mr. Poe had noticed the brightness of the file’s glow and looked at it suspiciously,

“My word - what in the _world_ was that?”

He picked it up, looking through it.

“Oh, goodness, golly, gosh! I’ve made an egregious error - I need to get those children right away-!”

The man then rushed to collect his things before walking briskly out the door.

Kathrine wiped her hands together, smiling proudly at herself,

“Aaaand the deed is done.” She hummed, fluttering back to whence she came.

* * *

Count Olaf had spat something vile to the Baudelaires, Klaus’s cheek still stinging with pain (Especially with the saltiness of his tears.), and Violet’s eyes filled with anger and disgust.

Apparently, he was going to force them into a play, and Violet was to play his “bride”.

Clearly - they didn’t want any part of it. But it appeared that would have to come to be.

Or… so they thought.

Later that day, when the Baudelaires had decided to visit Justice Strauss’s library again, Mr. Poe had arrived at the mansion’s door, just as they had opened it to leave.

“Ah, Baudelaires! What a coincidence - I’m here to see you.” Mr. Poe said to them. Violet raised an eyebrow,

“...See us?”

“Why, yes! It appears as though I’ve made a very, very big mistake. Please, gather your things and come with me. Count Olaf is _not_ the guardian you were supposed to be left with upon your parent’s deaths.” He spoke quickly.

Klaus clenched his jaw, “You think?”

Violet nudged him, “All we have on us at the moment is all we have - Let’s go now.” She said to Mr. Poe.

“Excellent! Well, let’s get a move on… where is Count Olaf? I’m sure he’ll want to hear about-”

“ _No!_...No… it’s… probably better that - he might get very upset and cry..!” Klaus said suddenly, attempting to choose his words carefully. Violet nodded violently.

“Bigiot” Sunny spat humorously, which meant, “ _He is a terrible man and deserves nothing but pain. Let’s get out of here!”_ Violet nodded down at her.

And with that, they left in Mr. Poe’s car.

* * *

The pastel rabbit woman walked quickly through her cottage, looking things over for the umpteenth time. Kathrine sat on the coffee table of the living room, her legs crossed,

“ _Arisa_ , I SWEAR it’s gonna be, like, _fine,_ mmk?” The little moth faerie spoke, rolling her eyes.

“You’re only five inches tall, I could crush you.” Arisa noted dismissively out of the side of her mouth. She walked briskly out of the large kitchen door.

“You’d hafta catch me fiiiiirst.” Kathrine fluttered her wings, grinning.

“Of course. Now, everything should be ready for their arrival - granted the illusionary facade spell works. Once they enter the doorway in their world, they will enter the Dreamscape.” Arisa went on, motioning her hands about in explanation. Kathrine merely nodded.

“They’ll be safe here.” She smiled, “Such smart, wonderful children such as them don’t deserve to be in such a dangerous situation - which reminds me, after they’re here, safe, and settled, I’ll need to work on finding the others in this failed timeline that deserved better - yes?”

Kathrine shrugged, “Do whatever. It’s a failed timeline - thing was doomed from the start. Just be happy _you_ found it instead of those vile demon things, like what like.. usually happens.”

Arisa winced, “Please, don’t speak of those.... Things. They’re the entire reason dreamweavers exist. We need to keep the worlds safe from such evils.”

Doomed timelines in certain worlds were usually invaded by demons, stealing the souls of that world while it ended, dragging them back to the darker realms of the universal collection.

The Dreamweavers, like Lady Arisa, existed in an attempt to lessen these occurrences.

“Whatever you say, sweetie. Now, anyways, like, when’re they comin’?” Kathrine said.

“Soon, we'll just need to call Nene and disguise ourselves as humans.” Arisa replied, tapping her chin.

“They’re gonna _freak!”_ Kathrine cackled, “Wait til they figure out magic exists and all that other fun junk!” Arisa rolled her eyes as she summoned the little communicator orb in her hand again.

* * *

The Baudelaires sat in the back of Mr. Poe’s car, both relieved and confused.

Klaus cleared his throat, “So… who exactly is our _actual_ guardian?”

Mr. Poe coughed a couple of times before finally replying, “Her name is Lady Arisa “Bunni” Artisan. She lives in a pleasant little cottage in the countryside.”

Violet raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side, “Our parents never spoke of her before..?”

“She isn’t related to your family - she was _apparently_ a close family friend, however.” Mr. Poe replied.

Klaus made a doubting face, “What does she do for a living?”

“Lady Artisan is apparently a children’s book writer and dabbles in artistry.” Mr. Poe answered simply. The Baudelaires looked at each other in suspicion.

This sounded far too good to be true.

The ride was long, but more comfortable than usual, so it wasn’t too bad, to their surprise.

The sky was a pleasant blue, and soft white clouds dotted the sky as they drew nearer to their destination. The car eventually came to a road that was lined with trees and flowers of varying, soft colors, and as the vehicle passed them, petals were swept up from the road and fluttered behind.

The Baudelaires looked wondrously around, the pleasant, shady road coming to an end at a sweet-looking white cottage.

“Here we are, Baudelaires! Your new home.” Mr. Poe said, parking the car, quickly getting out, “Now, let’s hurry up, now. There is a _lot_ of work to be done back at the bank, come on then, move along.”

Sunny let out an annoyed raspberry at the stupid man as Violet and Klaus exited the car. Violet and Klaus looked up at the cottage before them as a short, friendly looking lady with pastel purple hair stepped outside the cottage’s door. Another taller, gentle looking woman with pastel pink hair stood in the doorway. The two women spoke to each other for a moment before the lady started down the pathway. They both wore soft colored blouses and pencil skirts, their hair done up in elaborate braids.

“I wonder how often they have to redye their hair…” Violet spoke out of the side of her mouth to Klaus, who giggled.

“Ah, that must be one of Lady Artisan’s friends - hello! Nice to meet you!” Mr. Poe greeted the lady.

“Yep, hey, dude, nice to meet you - “ She ignored the man and stopped in front of the Baudelaires, “Name’s Neomi Eclipse. You’re the Bauds, yeah? Excellent. Epic. Love that.” Neomi said happily, placing a gentle hand on Violet’s head.

The Baudelaires laughed at the woman’s laid-back aura. Klaus smiled, “Yes, that’s us. I’m Klaus. This is Violet, and that’s Sunny.” the boy said, motioning to his sisters.

Neomi ruffled Klaus’s hair, “Fantasic. Let’s get you kids inside and settled, yeah?”

Sunny squinted, “Sus.” which meant, “ _You can’t have our fortune!”_

Klaus looked from Sunny to Neomi, and Violet began to speak, but Neomi cut in,

“We have enough cash, I’m sure you can tell. Now come on, let’s not stand out here, even if it _is_ pretty nice out. It’s nicer inside. Bet.”

Mr. Poe waved to the children as he returned to his car and pulled off. The Baudelaires looked from the car back to the cottage, which was surrounded by large, flowering trees and a pleasant looking garden.

“Alright, now, once you get inside, I’ll warn you, you _might_ freak out a bit? Be, uh, prepared? I guess? I don’t f- I don’t know.” Neomi said as they walked down the path to the cottage’s main doors.

Klaus furrowed his brows, “What is that supposed to mean?” Violet held onto Sunny a little tighter.

“It’s a surprise! A good one. I hope. Sh- shoot, I suck at this kind’ve stuff, anyways - Hey, Risa?” Neomi stumbled, then calling to Arisa, who was currently looking behind her, speaking with yet another person. She turned back around, “Everything is as ready as it can be, Nene.”

“Great, alright, is the uh, _door_ all set?” Neomi asked quickly.

“Clearly, I’m half in, half out. It’s a _very_ weird feeling.” Arisa answered. Neomi laughed.

The Baudelaires suddenly felt very hesitant.

“Alright, meet ya on the other side, kids.” Neomi said, slipping past Arisa and into the cottage. She seemed to disappear entirely.

Arisa stepped out of the doorway and bowed to them, “Baudelaires, I apologize if this seems… very odd, but I assure you, you will be safe in my care, for now and ever more.” She gently smiled to the children, who were equal parts confused and suspicious.

She offered a soft hand to them, “Come with me?”

There was an honest, playful glitter in the woman’s eye as the Baudelaires stared into her face. Sunny giggled suddenly, patting at Violet’s arm, “Eeya!” which meant, “ _I don’t see anything wicked in those eyes, unless she’s a better actor than Cunt Olaf!”_

Klaus swallowed, and Violet bit her lip. The two elder siblings took Arisa’s hand, and she gently lead them up to the door, and past the threshold...

* * *

Before the Baudelaire’s eyes, the world they knew slipped away from them, and a new one took its place.

The skies were gentle, dotted with thousands of small, glittering stars, soft clouds, and an occasional fantastical looking creature flying by.

The land around them was covered in the softest grasses, beautiful flowers of all kinds, gently hanging trees, and a couple of rivers.

They stood on a long, winding, creme-colored cobblestone pathway. It wound through a beautiful looking garden lawn to a very large, white cottage. Multi-colored vines hung from the cottage’s balconies and front porch.

The entirety of the world around them was painted in soft pastels of every color.

The gentle, wondrous aura this world gave off put the Baudelaires at ease, and yet, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

_Was this real?_

Violet and Klaus gawked at their surroundings, Sunny, giggling and babbling happily, pointing in all directions.

_Are we dreaming?_

As the elder Baudelaires were trying to understand their situation, Neomi and Arisa had returned to their normal forms. Neomi walked down the path to the cottage, and Arisa stood with the Baudelaires, laughing slightly at their reactions. Kathrine had flittered over and settled on the woman’s shoulder.

“Well, it’s a better reaction than I thought they’d have.” The moth faerie commented loudly, looking at her nails.

"I'm surprised they didn't faint! ...They still might, though. Careful." Neomi called back jokingly.

Violet and Klaus looked from Arisa, to Kathrine, to Neomi, to literally everywhere else-

_This can’t be real._

_We’re still at Count Olaf’s horrible house. In that horrible bed. Having a horribly taunting dream._

“This can’t be real.” Violet said absentmindedly, nearly crying. Klaus placed his hand over his mouth, smiling wildly,

“What… _is_ this place?”

Arisa smiled, her ear twitching excitedly,

“Welcome,” She said,

  
“ _To the Dreamscape._ ”


	2. Lost In Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baudelaires are welcomed into Miss Artisan's home. There is so much to learn.
> 
> However, something else lurks elsewhere.
> 
> Arisa wants to keep the children as safe as possible, so she takes the burden on herself, trying to find aid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> Way of Xia AU:  
> (https://archiveofourown.org/works/17948612/chapters/42387860)
> 
> Blood and Vengeance AU:  
> (https://archiveofourown.org/works/18834166/chapters/44694997)
> 
> Contact me: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> DAOKO GIRL music video
> 
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Arisa lead the still gawking children down the pathway, flowering trees around them rustling gently in the wind. Kathrine flew off into a sprawling forest nearby, and Neomi fell into one of the benches in the front garden, assuming a tired position.

Violet opened and closed her mouth several times to say something, yet she couldn’t. She went back and forth between attempting words and looking all around her, trying to keep a good hold on her baby sister, who was currently going hog wild over the entire ordeal.

Klaus ended up smiling wildly. He couldn’t believe his eyes. What were the chances? Was their parent’s deaths part of some… huge intertwined magical plot of a story they happened to be in? Was Count Olaf some _evil wizard?_ That _had_ to be it. There was no way magic could _actually_ exist and that _not_ be the case.

“I don’t understand!” Violet finally said simply, looking at their new guardian, who towered over them at a height of about seven feet, “Where are we-? Well, I know you told us, but, I- I don’t understand?” The eldest Baudelaire gave a confused laugh, spinning around slowly as she walked, trying to take in whatever this wonderland even _was_.

Sunny clapped her hands together and giggled, grabbing at Violet’s hair, trying to get her attention, pointing at a couple of beautiful looking cranes wading in a pond nearby.

Arisa laughed, “It will take some time. I’ll try to be as transparent with you as possible, little ones. There is so much for me to teach you.”

Klaus blinked at her, “ _Teach_ us? What are we going to learn? Spells? Enchantments? Magic! It’s real, Violet, magic is real!” The spectacled boy babbled happily, gripping Violet’s shoulder. Violet raised her eyebrows as she faced Arisa again.

Arisa smiled, “Of the sort, yes. I’ll be teaching you to be dream weavers and lorekeepers.”

Klaus laughed out loud and shook Violet’s shoulder, who was currently smiling just as wildly as her brother was.

They came to the large double doors of the cottage, to which Arisa opened and lead them inside, “Come in, please. I’ll show you to your rooms - and Klaus, I’ll help you fix up that injury of yours.” She spoke gently.

The cottage was warm and cozy. Glittering crystals floated about at the ceiling, serving as gentle lighting. Klaus reached out in an attempt to touch a lower one, and Violet looked from the various potted flowers and the glittering vines growing up the nearby staircase's railing to Arisa, “We get our own rooms?”

“ _Of course_ , little flower! All of my children get their own rooms. Your comfort is one of my top priorities.” Arisa said, stopping at the kitchen doors, which she opened with a flourish, “Now, Klaus, come here, I have some emergency healing plants in here. We’ll fix that cheek right up.”

The elder siblings looked at each other in confusion, “ _All_ of your children?” Violet asked. Klaus blinked at her

“Of course!” Arisa laughed, “I’ve adopted other precious little stars, and I’m sure you’ll just love them. I’ve sent out a message to each of them, so they _should_ be arriving in just a few days - granted they’re not busy with their own worlds.”

“Their… own worlds?” Klaus asked.

“Yes, little moonbeam. And they’re just as unique and special as you are. Now, Klaus, come along, let’s get you fixed up.” Arisa replied sweetly.

Violet shrugged at her brother before he cleared his throat and followed Arisa into the kitchen.

Violet placed Sunny onto one of the soft couches that sat by a short, white coffee table. Sunny sank into the fluffy pillows on the couch, giggling. Violet smiled at her baby sister as she turned to examine the room a bit more.

The white, hardwood floor was covered with a large, cloud shaped rug, which her shoes sunk into. She wondered if Arisa minded shoes on the carpet, but the woman hadn’t said anything (Maybe she should have asked? She didn’t know.). The coffee table had a soft blue lace cover, and a vase filled with white lilies and soft pink roses. A couple of remotes sat beside the vase.

A large television hung on the wall before her, some various electronics she had no idea about (They looked nothing like her time period. It was odd.), and some various paintings which she recognized as Monet pieces hung in various places on other walls.

The room was very pastel. Like everything else.

“I suppose she… really likes pastels?” Violet said to her sister, who nodded, hugging onto a pillow. “Soff.” She said, which meant “ _Everything is really, REALLY comfy.”_

In the kitchen, which was equally as soft, Klaus, too, noticed some electronics and appliances that weren’t from their own time period. Arisa opened up the large pantry and went inside. Klaus peeked in and saw various herbs hanging from the ceiling, snacks, jars, cans, and other various food items and goods lined the shelves.

He suddenly felt very hungry. _Oh._ He thought. _That’s right… we couldn’t eat a lot for breakfast…_

_Or… ever._

Arisa plucked a jar filled with some odd looking flowers from a high shelf and slipped out of the pantry, throwing the door shut behind her, and placing the jar on a counter nearby.

“Now, this might feel weird,” Arisa began, conjuring a hair clip from out of nowhere, to which Klaus double took. She put her hair up, “But no worries. Once we’re done, it’ll be like that scratch never happened. Not even a scar!”

Klaus looked at her, a tad worried, “Feel… weird?”

“Well, to someone new to magic, a mortal, even, it will definitely feel a little odd - but you’ll get used to it.” Arisa replied,

“Besides, you three won’t be mortal any more after I gift you some of my magic.”

“G-gift us some of your m-magic?” Klaus sputtered as she opened the jar, pulling out a dark purple, glittering flower from an odd, gel substance. It looked like a lily of some kind.

By this time, Violet had poked her head into the kitchen, having overheard the conversation.

“Of course, moonbeam. How else will I teach you dream magic?” Arisa said, gently running her fingers down the flower, squeezing some excess gel back into the jar. She licked off her fingers, “Still fresh, excellent.” Klaus looked at her, bewildered.

“Now, all I need to do is rub this Nightbloom on your face, and voila! All gone. Oh, hello Violet. Do come in, little flower.” Arisa rambled, walking over to Klaus. Violet blinked and slipped through the doors, into the large kitchen. She watched as Arisa gently cupped Klaus’s cheek and rubbed the petals onto his face.

“These blooms have been soaking in that healing aloe for quite some time, now. Should clear up instantly…” Arisa noted as Klaus’s cheek began to warm up.

It wasn’t a painful warmth, and it didn’t even feel… _weird._ In fact it felt… soothing.

The stinging he’d been feeling on his face soon ceased, and Arisa smiled as she pulled the flower away, “There - all better. Goodness me, I think it was even infected. No worries though, moonbeam, you’re all fixed up!”

Klaus touched his face as Violet quickly walked over to look at his cheek. The cuts were indeed gone, and there was no trace of the incident ever happening.

“That’s… incredible…” Violet said, looking from her brother to their new guardian. Klaus’s stomach made a low grumble.

“S-sorry, we, uh-” Klaus began, embarrassed.

“No worries, it’s nearly lunchtime, anyhow! You three must be starving. Here, I’ll make some chicken and dumplings - do you like that?” Arisa said happily, opening the pantry doors again with a snap of her fingers, and in a small flash of bubbled light, an apron appeared on her.

Violet merely nodded in wonder at the tall rabbit-eared woman. Klaus remembered a time when their father tried to make a meal like that - and like all the other times, it usually ended up burnt or nearly inedible, causing their mother to get takeout yet again.

“I’ll go and get Sunny - she loves being in the kitchen. I’m sure she’ll adore this one.” Violet said happily as Arisa nodded, beginning her work.

* * *

They now sat in the living room around the coffee table, digging into their hot bowls of chicken and dumplings. Arisa and turned on the television, which was apparently connected to something called a _laptop,_ and she decided to put on a pleasant little cartoon about a polar bear owning a cafe.

“This is _so_ good, Lady Artisan!” Klaus said, his mouth full. Arisa laughed, “Thank you, Klaus. It was my mother’s recipe. You don’t have to call me such, by the way. You can call me Arisa, or Bunni, or some day, mother.”

The siblings looked at each other. She definitely wouldn’t ever replace their own mother, but perhaps later they would begin to call her that.

Violet swallowed, “Your mother?”

Arisa smiled gently, “Yes, my mother. An excellent cook. I learned much from her, though most of it was on my own at one point.”

Violet frowned, “...Is she..?”

Arisa cleared her throat, “I’ll tell you about all that when the time comes. Perhaps you have other questions about me, or really anything else?”

Perhaps they’d hit a nerve.

Klaus looked between his sisters and Arisa, “What… _are_ you exactly? How old are you? Where are you from?” He bombarded the woman with questions, to which Violet nudged him. Hard.

Arisa only giggled, “I’m what’s known as a kemonomimi - a magical being with animal features, such as my ears and tail. Though it’s considered rude in certain cultures to ask a lady’s age, however, I don’t mind - I’m a few centuries old. And I’m from a world called La Lune.”

Violet blinked wildly, “A few _centuries!?”_ Sunny looked at Arisa, confused as all get out.

“A _kemonomimi?”_ Klaus asked, immediately interested, gliding over her age.

Arisa nodded, “Yes, we span in various types, I’m only one of many. In my culture, dreams and the celestial aesthetic are important. Our little race is called the _Lapin._ And yes, a few centuries. Dream weavers tend to live for… quite a while. _”_

_Did that mean they would live for a long time, too?_

“La Lune? Lapin? Isn’t that just… French?” Violet asked hesitantly.

“Yes! It’s the main language of the Lapin.” Arisa answered.

How did a language from Earth get to a magical world?

“Can you tell us more about La Lune?” Klaus asked, his eyes sparkling, “And this world - what is this place?”

“Of course, in due time. We have to take care of your own, first and foremost, however. As for the latter question - The Dreamscape is my own personal little bubble of dream magic in the Universal Collection. Everything here is indeed real, but I made it all myself - a comforting little safe place for me to observe the various realms - and a place for my children to come home to.” Arisa explained.

The Baudelaires blinked at her, exchanging glances between each other.

“Awuoo.” Sunny squeaked, which meant, “ _This is certainly a lot to take in.”_

“Indeed it is.” Arisa replied just as Violet was going to explain her baby sister’s words.

“You can understand her!?” The eldest Baudelaire asked in shock.

“Of course! Two of my other children also speak in little babbles and noises. I’d be a fool if I didn’t understand little sunshine.” Arisa answered, giggling.

The Baudelaires smiled at each other.

* * *

“Now, there are some clothes in your wardrobes, all the essentials you’ll need are in your bathrooms within your rooms, and if you need anything at all, just call me, little stars.” Arisa rambled, leading the Baudelaires up the stairs to the second level of the cottage.

“Thank you, Arisa. You’ve been unbelievably kind.” Violet said, a wide smile plastered on her face. “Unbai.” Sunny chirped from Arisa’s arms, which meant, “ _And just unbelievable period.”_ Arisa laughed at the little babe.

They walked down a hallway, past some other doors, which each had some stickers on them, and a couple had some names scrawled by the doorknobs.

“...Kirby?” Klaus asked, “Link?”

“Oh, yes, those are the two that I told you about. Kirby is quite the hungry little boy, and Link is a splendid conductor, though I do grow a tad tired of the sea salt smell he brings home.” Arisa replied.

“You said we’d meet them all soon, right?” Violet replied. Arisa nodded, “Yep! Oh, I do hope you all get along. Spyro can be a bit of a handful… Kanna as well. They try to keep well, though. Most of the time.” Arisa said, “... _Most_ of the time.”

Violet and Klaus only looked at each other.

They eventually made it to some rooms at the end of the hall.

“Violet, your’s is on the left, Sunny, your’s is in the middle, and Klaus, your’s is on the right. Now, little sunshine, until you’re up and walking, I’ve made a pleasant little cloud enchantment for you to float yourself around. It shall be at your every little beck and call.” Arisa explained gently, opening up Sunny’s door.

A pleasant, soft little cloud floated up to them and Arisa carefully placed a happy little Sunny onto it, “Ayyy!” Sunny squealed happily, clapping her hands, “ _No longer am I restricted to the arms of my poor siblings, causing sore backs and arms!”_

Violet and Klaus laughed, smiling up at her.

“Let me know if your rooms are to your liking. I’ve always said that a person’s bedroom is their sanctuary - a quiet little place amongst the storms of the outside world.” Arisa said, placing her hands on the elder Baudelaire’s heads. They smiled and nodded, each going to their doors and opening them.

Violet’s room was bathed in pastel purples, pinks, and whites. A large, comfy bed was up against the corner next to a window seat. Another wall-mounted television adorned the wall, with some various electronics she was excited to learn how to use. There was even a large work table with a wall of tools above it, some of which she’d never seen before - clearly magical in nature.

Several little glass orbs hung from the ceiling in front of the window seat, containing little sparkling succulents. Potted flowers, soft rugs, and a couple of moon chairs also graced the room, as well as a vanity, wardrobe, and chest of drawers.

Two doors lead to a big closet, and a big bathroom.

Violet grinned, looking all around her, nearly at a loss for words - 

“A-Arisa… this is incredible..! Thank you… thank you so much…”

Klaus’s room was similar, except instead of a work table and such, he had a large desk and some book shelves, as well as a globe-sized, translucent orb that hovered at the corner of said desk. His room was pastel blue, pink, and white. He rushed into the room and looked around, grinning, running his fingers over the books, looking curiously at the orb, “Arisa, this is absolutely incredible! Violet, look at all this!”

“It’s amazing - can you come and pinch me? Like, really hard? Really, _really_ hard?” Violet called from her room.

Sunny floated into her own room, observing yet another similar room, but with more chewable things within it, and a large bookshelf filled with cookbooks. Her room was pastel yellow, pink, and white.

“Awough…” Sunny chirped in amazement, which meant, “ _Did you do research on us? There’s no way a room can be this perfect.”_

“In a way, I did.” Arisa replied, “I wanted to make sure you were as comfortable as possible, of course. Clearly… I’m no family friend. It took some doing, but I was indeed able to get you out of such an abhorred situation.”

“And for that, we thank you.” Violet said, laughing slightly, looking at an odd, docked tablet, “What is this thing?”

“Ah, a Switch! It’s a video game console. A little thing for self enjoyment and fun with friends and family - video games are a pleasure to be had, little flower.” Arisa laughed.

“Video games? Sounds weird. Love that.” Violet replied, “I’ll try not to take the thing apart… hopefully.”

“If you do, I can just put it back together with a simple snap of my fingers, no worries.” Arisa said, smiling.

“Now, you might want to wash up and change, there is much for me to show you, little stars. Klaus - I think you might be fond of my library tower. And Violet, perhaps you would like to see the city? Everything in this little realm is powered by magic, you know.” Arisa went on, “There are some excellent cafes in the city, Sunny, I’m sure you’d love to try the ramen. Some of the other dream weavers here are excellent cooks.”

Each of the Baudelaires agreed wholeheartedly as Arisa nodded and walked away.

* * *

Olaf slammed his fist down onto the dining table, startling his troupe members,

“ **_WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE GONE!?_ **” The vile man spat.

“W-well boss, the banker came to pick them up, apparently, and they just d-disappeared!” The hook-handed man replied, the white faced women nodding fearfully.

Olaf glared at each of them, “I _told_ you to watch three stupid little children, and what do you do? _Let them and their fortunes slip from my fingers!_ FOOLS, the lot of you! ABSOLUTE FOOLS. _USELESS!_ ”

The troupe sat silently, staring at the disgruntled, filthy man.

“And what in the _hell_ do you _mean_ that they _diss-a-ppeared?”_ He emphasized,

“ _Three children with an enormous fortune just don’t up and disappear!”_

The person of indeterminate gender drew in a deep breath, “Maybe the real guardian found out and took them out of the country?” They hesitantly suggested.

Olaf took a long, hard glare at them, “Monty is too much of a fool to do something so witty. A damned fool - a _fool_ I should have killed when I had the _chance-”_

He stopped suddenly,

“No matter.” Olaf spoke slowly, “We’ll find out where they went. I’ll track them down, drag them back, and beat them senseless. Into submission. I’ll teach them to _never_ run from me _ever_ again.”

The hook handed man gulped.

A shadow in the corner of the room slinked off into the darkness.

* * *

“Neomi, have you found some others who can help us in this endeavor?” Arisa spoke quickly, looking at the large orb. They were within her library tower, Neomi sitting on the rounded stand that the large orb hovered over,

“Yep. They should arrive soon. One of them is even from the Earthenrealm - she’s a lil peach, too. Fearful little thing, but a right ol’ peach.” Neomi joked.

Arisa blew a piece of hair out of her face, “Just as long as they’re skilled. Kathrine will be returning in just a few minutes to give me an update on any demon sightings. This timeline is still in its early stages, so they won’t arrive for quite a bit now, but it’s better safe than sorry.”

“Yepperoo, I gotchu.” Neomi nodded, hopping off the table, “I need to get back to my own realm, soon, by the by. I’ve got some things to take care of.”

Arisa smiled, nodding, “Right. I’ve seen what you’ve had to go through.”

Neomi fell quiet.

“...I wouldn’t have split my soul if I knew you’d have to go through such ordeals.” Arisa continued.

“Don’t worry about it, Risa.” Neomi replied.

Arisa walked over to Neomi, placing her hands on the shorter woman’s shoulders,

“Neomi, you’re a part of me. You’re the me that is determined, stubborn… and jaded.” Arisa said quietly. Neomi blinked,

“It’s not like I _wanted_ to become jaded. Life just. Happens.”

“I know.”

“There’s nothing you can do. It’s something _I_ have to do.”

“I’ve seen through your eyes. I’ve felt your pain. Every problem you have is also mine. You’re _me,_ Neomi. Just like the other pieces of my soul.”

Neomi merely rolled her eyes,

“Quit being dramatic.” She laughed.

Arisa sighed, shaking her head.

“Just let me know when Brat-thrine gets back.” Neomi said, lifting the woman’s arms and pulling away.

Arisa watched sadly as the Lyn woman walked out of the tower.


	3. Rainbow Veins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dreamscape is a wealth of beauty and mystery. The Baudelaires do their best to settle in as they experience many of the whimsical "normalities" of this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.  
> -Dragons are from my lair on Flight Rising! (https://www1.flightrising.com/lair/121070)

The Baudelaires each bathed, (Violet helped Sunny before she washed herself.) and went to their new wardrobes to dress in their dream weaver garb.

The fabrics were soft, flowy, and smelt faintly of flowers and rain. They were used to having nice clothes, but these seemed far different from the clothes they were _accustomed_ to wearing. They each chose their outfits for the day, and Klaus went down to the living room. Sunny floated into Violet’s room, babbling about how much she loved the cloud. Violet opened up one of her drawers to find a plethora of different kinds of ribbons and other hair adornments, much to her delight. She smiled as she tied her hair up in a messy bun, then placing floral clips in.

“How do I look, Sunny?” Violet asked, stepping away from the vanity to spin around in her flowy garments. Sunny tapped her little chin for a moment before throwing her elder sister a thumbs up, “Gorgoos!” Which meant something like “ _You look great! Now put something in my hair, too, woman.”_

Violet laughed as she returned to the drawer and took out a couple of headbands, closed it, and walked over to Sunny. The elder Baudelaire held up each headband, to which Sunny inspected them both.

“Ursine.” Sunny poked the headband with little bears on it, “ _This one suits me best. Give the other one to Klaus.”_

“Good idea, Sun.” Violet smiled, slipping the headband onto Sunny’s little head. The two then headed down the stairs as well, Violet then rushing over to Klaus, “Here,” She said, slipping the headband onto his head. Klaus tried to pull away, “What in the-”

Arisa giggled from the kitchen’s doorframe, “You look darling, little moonbeam!” Causing Klaus to lightly touch the headband. It had two soft roses on it, and a small lilac bow.

“I… s-suppose it’s alright.” The bookworm said, “Though I feel a little… silly.”

"You all look adorable. Though..." She said, making her way over to them, "You seem to be missing something."

Violet cocked her head in confusion.

Arisa waved a glowing hand, and tapped each of their heads with a single finger.

Suddenly, a pair of bunny ears appeared in a _poof_ of sparkling magic on their headbands.

Sunny giggled, then pulling at the ears. Violet blinked, then looking at a mirror nearby. Klaus raised an eyebrow,

"Now I feel even _more_ silly."

Violet and Sunny giggled at him. Arisa gave him a warm smile, “It’s up to you. Now, shall we get going? We’ve a lot of ground to cover!”

The Baudelaires smiled, then following Arisa out of the cottage.

* * *

The seven foot _kemonomimi_ lead them out to the glittering, green, pink, and purple field her cottage resided in. The bright blue and lilac skies were dotted with clouds, and the wind gently whipped around them, causing Violet to thank herself for putting her hair up.

"My home resides in a place called the Iridescent Plains, little stars." Arisa said, stopping in front of them. The Baudelaires looked at her in confusion.

Klaus glanced around,

“What’re we out here for?” He asked.

Arisa smiled at him before looking up to the skies and placing two fingers in her mouth, then letting out a _very_ loud whistle, causing Sunny to cover her little ears.

“You’ll see.” She then smiled at the kids. Violet merely rose a perplexed eyebrow.

A few minutes later, they heard the flapping of massive wings above them, and the Baudelaires looked up…

Three dragons had arrived, each sparkling in their own magnificence. Each of the children gaped at their appearance, Sunny then babbling loudly in excitement.

“D- _dragons!?”_ Klaus let out in surprise, gawking with wide eyes. Arisa chuckled, “Of course! They’ll help us get to the city. They live in a nice little place called the Valley of Dragons, simply named, but they’ll always hear my call.” She then waved her hand gently at the elegant beasts, and they dove quickly downwards.

The dragons circled around each other as they descended, then touching down with ease, a strong gust of wind nearly blowing the children over. Sunny clapped feverishly.

Violet stared at the great winged serpents that stood before them.

Arisa glided over to the arcane looking dragoness, “Cherry Jewel, I hope you’re well?”

The dragoness nodded, “Of course, my lady. Are the children ready?” She asked. The mysterious dragoness looked to the Baudelaires, “They still have not received their blessings, Cherry, you mustn’t rush this.”

“Perhaps, Salaria.” The star-covered dragon said, “But I sense they’re well enough to bond for riding.”

“The tiniest one needs time to grow, Cristel.” Salaria replied back. Cristel looked to Sunny, who was babbling and hopping about on her little cloud.

“That is true.”

“They _talk?”_ Klaus said, dazed. “ _Bond?”_ Violet asked, her eyes shimmering.

Arisa smiled gently, “Sunny, you shall come with me. Violet, Klaus, take some time to get to know Salaria and Cristel.”

The elder Baudelaires could only nod as Arisa plucked little Sunny from her cloud, then going over to CherryJewel to saddle up.

Violet walked carefully over to Salaria, Klaus doing the same toward Cristel.

* * *

“Hello, little one.” Salaria knelt her head down toward Violet, who stepped back slightly. The dragoness smiled, “No need to be afraid, child. The Fates have chosen us to be bonded - many dream weavers have their own ways of getting around - Arisa’s… _hers_ are _dragons_.”

Violet swallowed, looking at the dragoness’s gentle, light green eyes, “I… I see.” She glanced at Klaus, “How exactly do we… b-bond?”

Salaria nodded at the teenager kindly, “Touch your palm to my forehead. That is all.”

Violet brought up her hand, looking at it. She then looked at Salaria,

“Th-that’s it?”

The dragoness nodded,

“That is all.”

She then brought her forehead down to the eldest Baudelaire, gently. Violet closed her hand for a second, taking in a deep breath.

She then opened her hand, placing it on Salaria’s forehead. Her scales underneath Violet's palm were warm to the touch. For a second, Violet's hand felt… cold. Then hot.

Like… a _white hot._ It threatened her, like it was burning, but she… refused to pull her hand back for some reason.

Then, a wave… a _great_ wave… came over her body. It’s warmth… was… something indescribable...

* * *

While Violet was speaking to Salaria, Klaus was doing the same with Cristel.

“So we… _bond_ with you? Like… you’re my _pet_ or something? For life?” Klaus asked, looking into the dragon’s amethyst eyes.

Cristel chuckled, “Something like that.”

Klaus stared at his hand for a moment.

“...Alright.”

Cristel nodded at the boy, then lowering his great head.

Klaus slowly placed his hand onto Cristel’s forehead, coincidentally at the same time as Violet.

The same white hot pain came to his hand, and he winced, nearly pulling away. _Was it supposed to burn like that?_

“Remain steadfast.” He heard Cristel mutter.

Klaus swallowed, holding his hand steady, then feeling the pain evolve into the same warmth Violet was feeling...

* * *

The two Baudelaire’s tore their eyes open when a bright flash shown in front of them - they hadn’t even noticed they’d closed their eyes.

On the back of their hand, they saw a glowing crescent form, confirming their bonding ritual with their dragon steeds.

Violet’s in a soft purple, and Klaus’s in a deep blue.

Arisa smiled. Sunny had stared in wonder the entire time, and then began to clap wildly, cheering, “Fuua!!” She exclaimed, _“I can’t wait to do that when I’m older!”_

Violet gazed at the crescent moon, then touching it as it faded.

“Those sigils will glow when your steeds are near.” Arisa said, showing her own on the back of her hand - it glowed a brilliant soft pink and purple.

Violet looked at Arisa, confused, amazed, she didn’t know how to feel,

“...Why..?”

“The first step of your training. After all, dragons are the source of all magic.” Arisa said from the back of Cherry.

Klaus gave a wide smile, looking from Arisa to Cristel,

“This is incredible.”

“Skiai!!!” Sunny called from Arisa’s lap, _“Let’s go, let’s go!!! Let’s fly!!!!”_

Arisa giggled at the littlest Baudebaby, “Patience, little sunshine! Let your siblings get comfortable.” Sunny grumbled, patting at the silks on the dragoness’s back.

The other dragons helped their respective riders onto their backs.

“Now, it will take a bit to get used to, but it’s like riding a horse, really - have you ever done that?” Arisa said, Cherry readying herself to take off. Violet blinked, “I… I don’t think so..?”

“Squeeze your legs to stay on,” Klaus began,”Though, these dragons are _far_ more sentient than horses… I don’t think we have much to worry about.”

Cristel chuckled, “Indeed, my young lorekeeper.” Violet giggled.

“Hold on, then.” Salaria said.

The three dragons then took flight, causing the Klaus to gasp in surprise, and Violet to squeeze her eyes shut. Sunny clung to Arisa’s clothing tightly,

As the dragons quickly ascended, the wind whipped past them. They flew up through some fluffy clouds, causing parts of it to get caught in Violet’s hair. She plucked a piece out, confused, but smiling.

Eventually, the dragons came to a stop, hovering above the clouds, the light of various celestial bodies glinting off the clouds, glittering.

The Baudelaires looked in wonder - all around them, a sea of white. Above, stars, soft colors, planets…

“ _Unreal…_ ” Klaus whispered. Cristel smiled.

They then quickly took off in one direction, toward the city.

Violet smiled, _Oh, right!_ She thought, _We were going somewhere!_

She let out a laugh, feeling the chilly air hit her face.

They glided across the clouds, Kaus feeling brave enough to lean down and run his fingers through the soft puffs. He howled in laughter, feeling how soft they were. Somehow it made sense, but it didn’t… all at once.

This truly was… _a dreamscape_.

A few minutes later, the three dragons then suddenly dived down through the clouds, causing the three children to scream out in excitement, Cristel and Salaria weaving around each other. They then steadied once again, still with high speed. Violet and Klaus were laughing, smiling, tears of joy.

Violet wiped her eye with her wrist, giggling with delight, looking far down below her.

Endless plains, then a collection of little buildings - a town. It had an eastern Asian feel to it. A massive lake lay beside it, glittering in the now setting light.

In the distance, they saw a massive tree - dozens of dragons flying about and - a flying train? No, it was on some sort of skybound rail…

On the top of the tree, within the massive plethora of branches, a huge group of spires stood.

Below the tree was also a wonder - a beautiful city, covered in growing plants. Where there were to be streets… rivers flowed. Gondolas floated through, groups of people walking on the sidewalks, other children running through, up, and over.

The Baudelaires watch in wonder as their dragons glided around others, then slowly descending down to a perching point.

“That was quite exhilarating, wasn’t it?” Arisa said, hopping off of Cherry, Sunny giggling loudly, clapping once again. Violet and Klaus were still laughing, climbing down from their dragons.

“Oh-! Oh my _God!”_ Violet could only say, “I’m- _what!?”_

“That was _incredible!”_ Klaus said, his face hurting from smiling. Arisa smiled gently at them. Sunny’s little cloud appeared again, and the _kemonomimi_ placed the little babe into it.

“Mimi!” Sunny babbled happily, _“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that!”_

Arisa chuckled,

“Hopefully that rush of wonder will still be in your hearts years after you’ve flown. Now, come,” She said, walking forward a little, “Let’s go and see the sights, shall we?”

Violet and Klaus grinned, nodding, then following after her, Sunny floating along.

* * *

The beautiful city towered above them. As the light faded, the dozens of decorative lanterns that floated above them began to glow, casting a plethora of colorful lights on the walls, plants, ground, and waters. Violet and Klaus looked all around them, taking in the sights, marveling at the beauty of it all.

“Many other dream weavers live here in the city of Lumiette, as do their descendants, and other adopted children from other destroyed worlds.” Arisa explained.

“Lumiette?” Klaus repeated, “That’s this city’s name?”

Arisa nodded. “That’s really pretty.” Klaus said. Violet giggled, “Everything about this place is… so pretty…”

Arisa hummed, smiling at them. Sunny then pointed at a little open-air shop just ahead of them, to the left, “Raahn!” She squeaked, _“Ramen shop, dead ahead! I’m starving!”_

Violet giggled, squeezing her little cheeks gently, “You’re _always_ hungry, sunshine!”

The tiniest Baudelaire huffed, slapping at her sister’s hands, “Ouwgh!!”, _“I am not - unhand me!”_

Klaus laughed, and Arisa chuckled.

They made their way over to the large stall, and each sat up on the high stools at the counter.

“Well, heya, darlin’! It’s good ‘t’see ya!” The head chef said to Arisa. The woman was fairly short, thick, and had bright orange hair. Her face was round and kind.

Arisa smiled, “Hello again, Cerise! I’ll have my usual.” Cerise nodded at her, then turned to the Baudelaires,

“These some new kids you adopted?”

Arisa giggled, “Yes - I’ll be teaching them dream magic.” Cerise raised her eyebrows,

“You haven’t done that in _years,_ darlin’.”

“I’m sure I haven’t lost my touch, dear.”

Cerise only shrugged at the bunny woman, handing menus to the kids, “Take yer time then, kiddos.”

Violet blinked at the woman before taking the menu and opening it up. Klaus stared at it, taking in all the different kinds of ramen, the little side dishes, and drinks.

Sunny’s mouth watered, staring at the menu in Violet’s hands. The little babe tapped her finger on one of the pictures, and Violet giggled, nodding.

“I’ll have the… Torikotsu ramen?” Klaus asked. Violet blew some hair out of her face, “I’ll have the Sapporo ramen, and Sunny will try the Hakodate ramen.” She smiled. Sunny clapped her hands, babbling.

Cerise grinned, “Alrighty! Shoyu, Torikostu, Sapporo, and a ‘lil bowl of Hakodate for the ‘lil baby.” She then turned around, and several little glowing sprites came to attention,

“You heard ‘em, sweethearts! Let’s get groovin’!”

The sprites chimed like tiny little bells, then immediately got to work. The Baudelaires watched in sparkly-eyed wonder as they worked. Cerise giggled.

“Wh-what _are_ those..?” Violet asked in wonderment.

“They’re made of dream magic, little flower. Once you learn how to use dream magic, you can summon your own sprites, too!” Arisa explained. Klaus grinned as he watched two sprites carefully place ingredients into one of the pots. Two more gently stirred it with a large spoon.

After a few minutes of magic, their hot bowls of ramen were placed in front of them, and they began to happily eat. Each of the Baudelaire children were highly pleased with their food. Cerise smiled warmly, then going to help other customers.

Something made a little chiming noise. Arisa grumbled slightly, swallowing her food, then brought out the small communication orb again. Violet eyed it with peculiar interest.

“Hewwo~ ma’am!” Kathrine’s sarcastic voice came through. Arisa rolled her eyes,

“Any news, Kathrine?”

“Wowzers, straight to the point, huh?”

Arisa only gave the faerie irritated silence.

“H’oook, anyways… The two dream weavers we needed will be arriving tomorrow.” Kathrine explained quickly, “Hopefully you’ve got the time for them.”

Arisa breathed in and out quickly, “Excellent. Hopefully this will all be done and over with soon. I’m assuming they know their orders?”

“Yeppers,” Kathrine squeaked, “ _Only take in those who are to be redeemed, the others will already be taken by The Shadows. In which case, destroy them.”_

Violet and Klaus looked at each other in surprised confusion. Sunny shrugged.

“Good. We can’t waver, either.” Arisa said sternly, “That would mean death.”

“ _Obviously.”_ Kathrine snipped, “Anyways, see ya on the flippity flop.”

Arisa sighed as the orb dimmed, and it disappeared.

Violet placed her chopsticks down, “What… what was that?”

“What did all that mean?” Klaus asked.

Arisa looked at them,

“I will discuss this with you very soon. It’s nothing to worry about, little stars.” She smiled solemnly, “Dream weavers… we just have… a very dangerous job. That’s all.”

 _Dangerous?_ Violet thought.

“Will we have to… do those jobs too..?” Klaus asked, worried.

Arisa sighed, “Oh, no, no, not soon. Later, when you’ve become full-fledged dream weavers - when you’re much older - perhaps then.”

“What is… are? The Shadows..?” Violet asked.

“Twisted little things. They are like… nightmares. The physical manifestation of them.” Arisa explained.

Klaus shivered.

Arisa noticed the boy’s discomfort, “But no worries, little moonbeam, you lot won’t be dealing with them for a long time coming.” She smiled.

Violet only smiled, nodding slightly.

“Giyu.” Sunny huffed, “ _I wanna kill nightmares, though.”_

Arisa chuckled, Klaus giving his baby sister a stern look. Violet snorted.

* * *

The group strolled around the city for a while after dinner. Violet’s mind wandered from thought to thought while gazing at all the beauty the city had to offer. Klaus dragged them into a bookshop or two, staring at the walls of odd books, scrolls, and magical objects.

They met a few of Arisa’s fellow dream weavers, some who were _quite_ the colorful character, whether it was in looks or personality. Or both. Either way.

Sunny yawned a little while later, which made Arisa announce it was time for them to head home for the night.

The three still couldn’t believe where they’d ended up. Klaus’s arm had bruised in one place as he had pinched it every so often. “We’re not dreaming, Klaus.” Violet giggled at him once.

They flew back to the cottage, touching down, and then heading inside.

“Oh, mother!” A small girl with short pink hair and glittering magenta eyes squeaked excitedly. Arisa smiled widely, “Laby, my little baby! Welcome home.”

The two hugged closely, the Baudelaires watching in some confusion.

“Have your other siblings come home yet?” Arisa said, looking down at the girl. She shook her head, “Not yet, but of them should be coming home _super_ duper soon. Laby was just super excited to meet Laby's new siblings!”

Arisa laughed, “That’s good. You’ll all be needing to get to bed after you’ve become acquainted. I’ve a busy day tomorrow, as do the Baudelaires.”

Violet looked at Laby, who nodded at Arisa as the bunny woman disappeared behind some doors to her quarters.

“So you’re… Laby?” Klaus asked, curious, “Uh… where are you from?”

“Ahnma?” Sunny asked, _“What are you?”_

Violet lightly pinched the little babe’s cheek, “ _Sunny,_ please. I-I’m sorry about her…”

Laby giggled, “It’s no problem! Laby’s from a realm that’s always in constant danger, so Laby likes to come here for some rest.” The girl smiled wide, displaying a set of sharp teeth.

Sunny’s eyes glittered.

Violet nodded, feeling bad for the girl, “We can understand that, I suppose. I’m Violet Baudelaire. These are my siblings, Klaus and Sunny.”

Laby nodded, “Bau-de-laire! Laby likes that name. It sounds super fancy!” The girl said, grabbing Violet’s hand with both of her’s. Violet giggled.

Sunny yawned again, causing Klaus to sigh, “I guess we should get to bed?”

“I suppose. We’ll see you in the morning, I guess?” Violet asked. Laby grinned, nodding, “Yep! Goodnight Bau-de-laires!” She giggled, then running up the stairs, “New siblings are so exciting!!”

Klaus blinked quickly, shaking his head,

“This just keeps getting… weirder and weirder.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s weird,” Violet said as they started up the stairs as well,

“I’d say it’s… like an odd breath of fresh air.”

“Ooook.” Sunny grumbled, “ _Call it whatever you want, sis.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case u r confusion:  
> completely purp dragoness is Cherry Jewel, purp/pink dragoness is Salaria, and white dragon is Cristel.  
> enjoy more soft stuff uwu
> 
> dis is Laby, she's baby.  
> (https://elwiki.net/w/Laby)


	4. Whiteout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Among the glittering happiness of the Dreamscape, something seems... unsettling.  
> Violet drags Klaus out to see what's going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Violet awoke the next morning to some soft thumping at her door. She sat up, confused, rubbing the sleep from her eyes,

“What on Earth?” She whispered, stepping out of her bed. She walked over to her door, and noticed the occasional thumping was coming from near the bottom of the door.

“...Ahm… _hello.._ _?”_ Violet asked, confused, “Sunny? Laby..?”

“ _Poyo!”_ She heard a tiny voice say. She felt herself giggle suddenly, delighted by the little noise, “Hello to you too, I guess? Here, let me open the door-”

Violet’s eyes widened as she looked down at a very round, soft, pink little orb. The little thing looked up at her with starry blue eyes,

“Poyo! Poyo poyo!”

Violet felt herself laugh again, her eyes glittering. She fell to her knees in front of - “Kirby? Is that your name?”

Kirby nodded, “Poyo.”

“You’re like a little soft gumball…” Violet said, smiling. She picked up the little boy, then placing him in her lap. Kirby laughed, smiling.

“I see you’ve met Kirby, too.” Klaus’s voice came. The two looked up to see him leaning on Violet’s doorframe. Kirby waved up at him, “Poyyyy!”

“He’s so _precious,_ Klaus - _look at him!”_ Violet cooed, holding the little star warrior close. Kirby laughed.

“I guess Arisa wasn’t kidding when she said we’d understand him.” Klaus joked.

Sunny then flew past on her cloud, down the hall. A few seconds later, a small, purple dragon ran after her, “That’s cheating! I mean, at least I _think_ that’s cheating? Get back here!” He laughed.

Violet gave Klaus a bewildered look as Kirby cheered, hopping off of Violet’s lap and then rushing after the two. “Uuaah!!!” The little gumball cheered.

“That’s Spyro.” Klaus said. Then, a little girl with purple hair and white horns ran past them, a bored look on her face, but her eyes glittered with excitement.

“And that’s Kanna.” He noted.

“...They’re _baby.”_ Violet only said, “They’re _all_ baby. Oh my God.”

“That’s certainly one way to put it.” The bookworm noted, then going down the hall.

Violet got up, a little dazed. Klaus clearly was already numb to the dream-like chaos. As her brother and their new siblings disappeared down the hall to the stairwell, a door a little ways down closed, causing her to look in that direction.

A little boy in green garb had pulled his door shut. He walked, then pausing to look up at her,

“Eeyah.” He greeted her.

“...And you must be Link.” Violet smiled.

He saluted her, “Uauh.”

“ _Toon_ Link?”

“Hmmh.”

“A nickname. Well, at any rate, I’m Violet.” She giggled.

He smiled at her, nodding.

“Well, I suppose we should go and meet the others?” Violet asked, offering a hand to the small child. He nodded again, placing his tiny hand in hers.

She giggled as they walked down the hallway.

* * *

“ _Naaaaah,_ I’m not _that_ dumb.” Spyro sad, then shoving a waffle into his toothy jaws. Laby rolled her eyes, “But what if the skateboard-thingy broke all of a sudden!”

“Poyy!” Kirby agreed. Kanna poked at his cheek.

“Fliaop.” Sunny argued, “ _I’m sure it wouldn’t do something like that!”_

“Don’t argue over breakfast, little stars.” Arisa said.

Violet and Klaus were snickering.

Their new siblings were _very_ odd, but they were kind and friendly. Apparently, they were all orphans as well.

“When’s Callie gettin’ here?” Spyro asked. Arisa pet his head, “Soon, fireball, soon.” The little dragon only grumbled.

“Now, I’ll be a little busy today - I know you came to see me, but you came to see your new siblings as well, yes?” Arisa continued, “I’m sorry I can’t spend any time with you little stars.”

Kirby whined. Toon Link grumbled. Spyro slumped down in his chair, “Of course.”

Arisa gave the boys a sad smile, “You know what needs to be done. Now, be kind.” She said as she got up. The _kemonomimi_ lightly clapped her hands, causing a few little glowing sprites to appear. She nodded at them and turned to leave. They chimed, beginning to clean up.

The Baudelaires enjoyed their time with their new siblings. Callie eventually turned up. She was an odd combination of squid and humanoid.

Each of them explained who they were, what they did, where they’re from, and what they’ve been doing now.

The Baudelaires explained their situation as well, to which some of them understood.

Callie, after a while, said she needed to return to her realm. She had a tour she had to go on with her cousin, Marie.

Kanna nodded, also saying she had to return to her own world.

Laby did the same, saying “The Elrianode” still needed help.

The Baudelaires, and those left, bid them farewell.

“How do they get back home..?” Klaus asked after the three had left.

“Special portal-door-thingies.” Spyro replied, lazing on the couch. Violet blinked at him,

“Sounds complicated.”

“Not too bad.” The dragon replied, “Just need a realm-key-thingy and some understanding of how dream magic works. Also interdimensional shifting and portal walking.”

Sunny blinked at him. Klaus felt his head buzz in confusion.

“Simple stuff, really.” Spyro yawned.

“Perhaps to you.” Violet chuckled. The little dragon shrugged.

“Oouo.” Sunny yawned, _“I’m gonna go take a nap - don’t bug me.”_

Klaus snorted, “We’ll try not to.”

For a while, Kirby, Toon Link, Spyro, Violet, and Klaus lazed about in the living room, either talking or playing games.

However, Violet’s mind was constantly on Arisa and her confidants - whatever their missions was… it was clearly important.

Violet looked over at her brother, who was currently spacing out.

“Klaus.” She whispered to him. He didn’t hear her.

_Well. Guess we’re dissociating right now. Relatable._

She threw a pillow in his direction, and he blinked wildly before looking at her with a “What the-?” face.

“I need to talk to you about something. Come on.” Violet said to him. He raised a single eyebrow before following his elder sister upstairs.

* * *

“What’s up with you?” Klaus asked as they settled into a nook by the stairs.

“I need to find out what’s up.” Violet whispered. Kaus gave her an odd, confused look.

She rolled her eyes, “With Lady Arisa and the others? Why they needed two other dream weavers and need to… _kill_ shadows or something?”

Klaus sighed, “Curiosity killed the cat, Violet-”

“I don’t care.” Violet snipped, “I want to know…” She grit her teeth, “I _need_ to know.”

Klaus blinked.

“I have a sneaking suspicion that our parents were murdered.” Violet said.

Klaus’s eyes widened,

“ _What?”_

“Which is exactly why we need to go and… well,” She breathed in deeply, “ _Eavesdrop_ on Lady Arisa.”

“No. Absolutely not-” Klaus began argumentatively. Violet squinted at him,

“I’ll go _by myself,_ then. Idiot.” Violet spat.

Klaus glared at her, “Don’t _call_ me that.”

“Then don’t act like one.”

“You’re being one because you’re wanting to _intrude_ on our new guardian!”

“You’re being _ridiculous._ With the _hard ‘_ R’.”

“ _And you’re being STUPID with an ‘S’!”_

“Se disputer?” A little voice said.

The two siblings - who had been hissing at each other quietly during this time - snapped their heads up to see the littlest Baudelaire in her little dreamy cloud.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly at them.

Violet sighed, feeling ashamed,

“I’m sorry, sunshine, did we wake you..?”

“We’re not- we weren’t _arguing, “_ Klaus attempted, “We were just… discussing something!

The tired little babe gave him a look. He grumbled.

“Listen, we’ll be… poking our heads in on Lady Arisa and her friends… just out of curiosity. Would you like to come with us?” Violet asked. Klaus gave her a heavy glare,

“ _I NEVER agreed to this-!”_

“Give it a rest, plucky.” Violet hissed, “You know how stubborn I am. Either you’re coming with me, or you’re not.”

Sunny shrugged, “Curio.” Which meant something like, _“I’d like to know what’s going on, honestly.”_

Klaus slumped over, feeling defeated. His sisters had overridden his _better judgement_ two-to-one once again.

“Excellent,” Violet smiled, “Away we go, then. I’ll assume she’s in the library tower.”

“...I’d forgotten all about the library tower…” Klaus whispered as Violet got up. His mind buzzed for a moment, imaging the infinite number of books that may lie within the tower… how magical it would look....

Violet snapped her fingers in front of the bookworm’s face,

“Focus, nerd. Come on.”

He huffed, getting up, slapping her arm gently in reply. She snorted.

Sunny followed her elder siblings down the stairs, floating along on her little cloud.

* * *

“Where’re you guys goin’?” Spyro piped up. Violet glanced in his direction, “Just to see the sights, Spyro.”

“Poyo, poyo!!” Kirby said, waving.

“It’s alright, Kirby. You don’t have to go with us.” Violet smiled at the little star warrior. He sighed.

Toon Link glanced from the Baudelaires to his siblings,

“Yeeheah.” He said simply, which meant, _“Just leave ‘em be.”_

“We’ll be back, no worries!” Violet chimed happily. The Baudelaires then made their way through the foyer, Violet pulling open one of the double doors.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Klaus mumbled to her. She cornered her eyes at him,

“We’ll be better off knowing, I’m sure.”

* * *

The library tower was incredibly tall, and the inside seemed to be larger than the outside, which reminded Klaus of many things he had seen and read back in their home realm.

The air was a little chilly, but comfortably so. An occasional speck of stardust glittered around them, and more of the little crystal lamps floated above them, suspended by magic.

They walked quietly - carefully - through the entrance, making their way to the main hall. The tall, arched double doors that lead to such were slightly open. One of the women had perhaps left them open carelessly, much to Violet’s delight.

They peeked in, and Klaus was _instantly_ taken by the immense amount of books, scrolls, and other readable materials that filled the dozens of high shelves. They gazed at a very large, translucent orb in the center of it all, surrounded by a few crescent desks.

Arisa stood in the middle of it, gazing at a few images, and some odd text.

“ _-ot_ to mention that _weird_ ‘secret’ organization their realm has. No doubt that those shadowy assholes have already screwed with the _weaker links_ in that lot.” The Baudelaires heard Neomi say as the women’s conversation caught their attention.

“May I repeat myself once again, Lady Neomi..? Lady Arisa..?” A pale woman with white hair dawned in pastel pink asked politely. Her voice was softer than the others, and she held a staff with a glowing pink lantern at the end of it.

“Of course, Kira.” Arisa nodded.

Kira bowed her head, thanking her, “We mustn’t meddle in their affairs unless they are corrupted by the nightmares - lest we corrode the timeline further than The Shadows already have.”

“We heard that all the _first_ time, Ki.” Neomi complained.

“Hmmmm maybe s’best you hear it again, Nene…” A bored, pink skinned woman with tired eyes said. Neomi rolled her eyes,

“Shut it, _Eliza.”_

Eliza only shrugged, then laying across the desk in front of her. Kathrine giggled. The Baudelaires saw her tiny, glowing form flutter to Arisa’s side, “She’s right, she’s _riiiiight~!”_ She sing-songed, “We’re tryna _saaaave_ people from this realm, not fuck things up further!”

The Baudelaires looked at each other in worried confusion.

_Secret organization?_

_The Shadows…_

“P-please stop fighting! We’re straying f-from the task at hand..!” A nervous voice came. Attention was turned to a bright-eyed, blue-haired woman with blue horns and a large, long golden key.

“Thank you, Lunari.” Arisa said, placing a reassuring hand on the woman’s short woman’s shoulder. She bowed her head.

“This timeline of the Baudelaire’s realm will undoubtedly end, but I have not seen… _how_ as of yet.” Arisa said.

“And why not?” Kathrine squinted at her.

Arisa sighed,

“You know how I am about _doomsday-like_ _endings_ , Kat.”

The little faerie huffed.

Violet covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a shocked gasp. Klaus only stared at the group.

“As I was saying,” Arisa continued, “Kira, Lunari, you will be rescuing those who are still able to be saved. You will bring them here, and we will inform the Baudelaires as soon as we can.”

Kira nodded, and Lunari gave a nervous hum in agreement.

“It will be… hard for them, I’m sure… but, we _need_ to keep them safe.” Arisa sighed, “They already have enemies… and with that horrible magic… those enemies will have gotten…” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment,

“Unbelievably stronger.”

Violet felt her stomach drop. She felt sick.

Klaus swallowed, something trying to find its way upward.

Kira’s grip tightened on her staff, the lantern swaying slightly,

“Lady Arisa, you have our word that we will _not_ let those entrusted in our care fall.”

Arisa only looked at her,

“Don’t promise such a thing.”

Kira only looked at her.

“ _Never_ promise such a thing, starlight.”

Kira’s eyes only glittered in defiance. Lunari blinked away nervously.

“Need I say, if I may, that like, they can’t intrude on the lives of these people?” Eliza called lazily from her spot.

Kathrine giggled again.

Arisa looked at the vampiress, “Indeed. Unless you are originally from their world, you cannot, _cannot_ try to persuade them yourselves.” She explained, “Defeat The Shadows and lead those in question in the right direction. These are the orders.”

Violet thought for a moment. Klaus was still focused on the women’s conversation, trying to piece together everything he’d just heard. Sunny sighed.

“ _Unless you are originally from their world.”_ Violet thought.

She pulled her hair ribbon from her pocket, then tying her long hair up into a messy bun. Klaus snapped out of his confused focus at her,

“Violet-”

“Stop.”

“ _Violet, no-”_

“Shut the fuck up.”

Klaus was taken aback by his eldest sister’s sudden swear. Sunny glanced at her.

Violet stared heavily at him,

“Either you’re with me… or you’re not.”

Klaus blinked at her.

“Do you want to find out what _actually_ happened to our parents… or not?” Violet whispered harshly. Sunny only looked at the bookworm.

He looked from the group of women, to his sisters, then down at his hands in his lap.

He closed them into fists.

“...Fine.”

Violet looked from him to the group, then standing up.

* * *

“ **_Enough!_ ** _Honestly_ , this shouldn’t be something we should be _arguing_ about!” Neomi spat. Eliza gave the Lyn a thumbs up.

“Master Eclipse is correct,” Kira agreed, “The boundaries have been set. We mustn’t cross them.”

Just then, they heard the doors burst open, and the group of women swung around,

“If you need people from our world - Klaus and I would be happy to help.”

Arisa stared at the small forms of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. Sunny nodded, crossing her little arms. Klaus stood slightly behind his eldest sister, who had her arms crossed, her feet planted firmly apart into the mirror-like floor.

“...My little stars-” Arisa began, only a little surprised.

“No. We want to help. We’re going.” Violet cut her off. Klaus gulped.

Eliza had sat up, her eyebrows raised in interest.

Kathrine and Neomi both stared at the children.

Kira gripped her staff even tighter, her knuckles turning white. Lunari whimpered.

“...I wasn’t going to refuse.” Arisa stated simply,

“I knew you would do this.”


	5. Beings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's stubbornness and Klaus's thirst for curiosity have lead them to becoming dream weavers a little earlier than normal.  
> All for the sake of their parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Eliza slipped off the desk, Kathrine fluttering to Arisa’s side once again. Violet stared sternly at the women as they came together in front of her and her siblings.

Kira stepped slightly in front of Arisa,

“Absolutely _not._ ”

There was a moment of cold silence.

“Kira-” Arisa began softly-

“No. They are  _ children.  _ We are meant to  _ protect  _ them.” Kira whirled around to the bunny woman, “Not send them off to their  _ certain doom.” _

“Arisa - Mother.” Violet began, her voice honest, “I remember there was word of us receiving blessings? And becoming dream weavers?”

Klaus glanced around, his chest tight.

Kira grit her teeth, and Lunari stifled a worried whine. Arisa sighed,

“I would have thought this would come at a far later date… but…”

She looked up to the ceiling for a moment, breathing in,

“This very…  _ circumstance  _ has come to me in a dream - as all others do.”

“You could stop it, though, my Lady, if you don’t mind me saying-” Kira rushed. Arisa placed a firm hand on the woman’s shoulder,

“Enough.”

Kira’s eyes gleamed with disappointment. Kathrine giggled,

“You just don’t wanna babysit em, huh?”

Lunari bit her lip, looking away. Arisa shook her head slowly, then moving past the pale woman in front of her.

“I just... don’t… want them to see what  _ we _ have seen.” Kira whispered. Neomi felt the scar down her back tingle. Kathrine pursed her lips, realizing the mistake she’d made.

Arisa walked over to the Baudelaires, stopping in front of them,

“...The blessing ceremony will need some time for preparations.”

“S-so you’re going through with this..?” Klaus asked.

Arisa smiled solemnly,

“I can’t change the winds of Fate, no matter how hard I may try.”

Violet nodded, her face determined.

“However,” Arisa looked to the youngest Baudelaire, “Sunshine will have to remain here.”

Violet nodded earnestly. Klaus gave a sigh of relief.

“She is too young, and her body would not be able to take the amount of power I will be handing to you.” The  _ kemonomimi  _ explained.

“A perfectly fine explanation.” Violet agreed.

Klaus, however, was now worried about what the…  _ amount of power  _ meant.

Kathrine fluttered around and between the Baudelaires, “I suppose this means we’ll be getting ready for a blessings ceremony - what  _ fun!”  _ She giggled jovially - only a _smidgen_ of sarcasm graced her voice. Klaus looked worriedly down at the floor, and Violet looked up at Arisa, closing her eyes as she gave a single nod. Sunny looked up at her siblings, feeling some concern.

* * *

For the next few days, Violet and Klaus were plunged into various studies of dream magic and nightmare magic - highly complicated for the normal mind, but these children had shown the dream weavers around them that they were  _ far  _ from normal.

After all - they  _ were _ sought out by Lady Arisa.

Kira, however, was just a…  _ tad  _ miffed. The elven woman had taken to constantly speaking with Arisa, trying to explain that she couldn’t take them with her and Lunari.

“What-  _ how  _ will they react when they  _ see  _ the abhorred, awful looking  _ beasts  _ of The Shadows?” Kira slammed the end of her staff down on the library tower’s floor, bright sparks flying off from the impact. The bunny woman did not flinch, merely continuing to look over the plans with Kathrine and Lunari.

“It’s already been decided, Ki.” Kathrine spoke.

“I’ve warned them of what they will see. Violet is as stubborn as she is steadfast.” Arisa explained without looking up. She then chuckled softly,

“...She… reminds me of myself when I was a youngling.”

Kira felt her heart sink.

_ I can’t… change their minds. _

_ ...I can’t… protect… _

She clenched her jaw.

_ No. _

_ I will protect them. If I can’t stop them… _

**_I will aid them._ **

“...I will do my best, my Lady.” Kira said finally, breaking the silence. Arisa’s ears pricked up, hearing Kira’s acceptance.

“Took her long enough.” Kathrine muttered. Lunari looked up at Kathrine with doe eyes, “It has only been a few days, Lady Kathrine.”

The moth faerie stuck her tongue out, raspberrying. Arisa giggled a little.

Klaus slipped behind one of the tall bookcases nearby, placing a hand over his fast beating heart. He knew he shouldn’t be listening in on them like this, but he couldn’t help it.

There was so much they’d learned over the past few days. His head felt like it was pulsing to burst. It was overwhelming.

But… through… all of this…

Violet was determined to see it through.

She desperately wanted to know what happened to their parents, what that organization was, the other people, the secrets - 

_ The end of their world? _

Well,  _ he  _ wanted to know, too, but…

_ The less I know… the better? _

He gently threw his head back on the rows of books behind him, sliding downward to the floor. He wrapped his arms around his knees.

Klaus closed his eyes, trying to piece together all the information that had been given to him...

* * *

The day after Violet burst through the doors, dragging Klaus with her, Arisa had dumped a heavy explanation on them.

“Dream weavers have been around for  _ centuries.”  _ She said, bringing up various images on the massive, translucent globe that lay in the center of the library tower. The  _ kemonomimi  _ stood in the center of this globe, Violet and Kaus sitting at one of the large, curved wooden desks.

“We are beings made of pure magic - once a being has become a full dream weaver, their bodies are completely taken over by dream magic.” She explained, gesturing to herself. Klaus blinked,

“...So you’re just… are you organic at  _ all?” _

Arisa paused for a moment,

“Well, not really, I suppose.”

Violet raised an eyebrow.

“...It’s… hard to explain in simpler terms.” The dream weaver breathed, “...I suppose you’ll understand once you’ve  _ felt  _ it.”

_ Felt it?  _ Violet thought.

“Any whom,” Arisa interrupted their thoughts, “Once the dream magic has taken over the being, the essentially become a  _ dream-like being _ .”

Violet blinked, “So,” She spoke up, “What you’re saying is… you’re  _ really  _ powerful?”

Arisa turned to the eldest Baudelaire and nodded, smiling gently, “Yes.” She then stopped,

“However…” She began, sighing, “This power… comes with a price.”

The two felt dread suddenly.

“If a dream weaver does not keep their emotions or power in check… the dream magic could  _ consume _ them.” Arisa began, her voice breaking.

Klaus swallowed,

“C- _ consume  _ them..?”

Arisa grit her teeth for a moment,

“Yes, moonbeam.”

Violet cocked her head slightly.

_ This… had this happened to someone she once knew? _

“If a dream weaver is consumed by their magic, their physical bodies will dissolve into a magical dust-like substance. Though beautiful… it signifies that a dream weaver has ultimately failed.” Arisa explained quickly,

“S-so far… there is no way to reverse this.”

Violet’s palms felt clammy.

_ Did I make the right choice? _

Arisa then cleared her throat,

“The  _ first  _ dream weavers are called the First Dreamers, and have… rarely been seen these days. Either they’ve been consumed by their magic or they have… sealed themselves away.” She explained.

Various images had come into view and faded on the surface of the massive globe,

“These First Dreamers were blessed by the Grand Creator, and taught the next generation, and that generation has taught the next, and the next… etcetera, etcetera.” Arisa explained.

“Does the… the magic weaken with each generation taught?” Klaus asked.

“No.” Arisa said simply, “A new dream weaver is blessed with a fraction of the original dream weaver’s magic, which the new one then grows into their own power as they learn and adapt.”

Violet sat up straighter in her seat.

“Dream weavers are classified as fae beings,” Arisa explained, “This means that I am fae, and the other dream weavers you have seen or met are also fae.”

Klaus took in a sharp breath, “So… we’ll be fae, too?” He asked, then swallowing anxiously.

Arisa nodded back at the bookworm. He bit the inside of his cheek.

“M-mom-” Violet asked, looking up at her, “Is it going to hurt?”

This took Arisa by surprise, and she laughed, “No, of course not, little flower! In fact, you will feel the light of a thousand stars course through you!”

“Is… this from experience?” Klaus asked.

Arisa moved her hand quickly to the side, and all the images and writing ceased,

“Perhaps.”

“Are dream weavers born from other dream weavers?” Violet asked.

“Occasionally. Though, most are orphans adopted from other failed timelines of realms.” Arisa replied.

Klaus shifted his feet before looking up at her,

“Are you an orphan?”

Arisa’s hand slowly dropped, her fluffed rabbit tail drooping down for a moment. Violet gave Klaus a stern look, and the bookworm felt his mistake reverberate throughout his body.

The bunny woman turned to the two children,

“I’ve given you a wealth of information, my little stars.” She smiled, “Let’s get back to your rooms for the day. You’ll need a lot of rest for the coming day.”

Klaus arched his brows, “I-I’m sorry, mom, I-”

“Worry not, moonbeam. Now, run along you two. I will tell you of what you will be facing tomorrow. You must be prepared.” Arisa said simply, her eyes gentle.

He only nodded, bowing his head along with Violet. His elder sister pulled him out of the library tower.

He only had a moment to look back - he thought he’d seen the woman grasping at her chest while leaning on one of the desks.

* * *

Klaus paused his thoughts for a moment.

_ Is Arisa an orphan? _

Perhaps? The way she acted wasn’t exactly…  _ comforting. _

_ Maybe she just didn’t want to talk about it? _ The bookworm huffed.

_ Besides - there is… there are more important things to worry about than that right now. _

He supposed. He  _ did  _ wonder, though. What had she seen about their world within that big, see-through globe thing?

She  _ did  _ say many dream weavers were orphans from failed timelines of different realms. They were such. Was Kathrine? Eliza? Kira and Lunari? Cerise?

They couldn’t  _ all  _ be orphans, right?

... _ Right? _

He shook his head, then clutching it in his hands. The bookworm tried to focus again. The next day.  _ The next day? _

He felt his stomach drop.

“ _ What you will be facing”... _

* * *

Violet and Klaus and both sat down beside each other once again the next day, and Arisa came into the tower moments later, looking slightly nervous.

_ She hated doing this. _

She stepped into the massive orb once again, then looking to her students and dear children,

“Little stars… what I will teach and… show you today is…  _ will  _ be hard for you  _ and  _ I.” Arisa said softly.

Klaus gulped.

Violet looked at her with a worried look,

“Whatever do you mean?”

Arisa sighed,

“The Shadows... do you remember my fellow dream weavers mentioning them?”

The two siblings nodded. Arisa smiled, her eyebrows arched,

“They are the evils you will come across… they are what… you will have to fight.” She explained, “I was… a little older than you, Violet, when I fought my first nightmare beast.”

“N-nightmare beast?” Klaus asked shakily.

One of Arisa’s hands clenched into a fist, “Sadly, yes. They are… terrifying, to say the least.”

She then closed her eyes, breathing deeply, “You may resign from your mission at any time. I will not fault you. These images are… not pretty.”

Violet bit her lip, “I can take it.”

Klaus opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again… then only nodding.

Arisa only looked at them, then turning around. She gently waved her hand.

Several images of darkly colored beasts, dripping with black ooze began to appear. Some had a plethora of heads, limbs sprouting from them. Sharp teeth. Bones jutting out. Blood. Flesh.

It was… enough to make the two siblings feel sick.

Klaus looked away. It reminded him of the beasts he had read about in some of the books their parents had forbidden them from reading. He was sneaky, however.

His curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Violet mentally shook her head, blinking quickly,

_ They’re not that scary. _

_ Olaf was worse. _

But… was he? The Baudelaires had only had to deal with him and his troupe for a couple of days…

Arisa felt a sharp pain in her chest, but she fought it off.

_ Not now. _

_ Not ever. _

She threw her hand to the side, causing the images to quickly disappear.

“I-I’m sorry-” She began, looking at the children.

“It’s fine.” Violet interrupted, “If that’s what we’ll be facing, we-” She swallowed,

“We need to know.”

Klaus only nodded.

Arisa stepped over to the eldest Baudelaire, the silky fabric of her robes floating elegantly,

“You… you two are brave. Far braver than I was when… I first began.” She chuckled,

“And you’re both _younger_ than I was.”

* * *

Klaus knocked the back of his head against the books behind him several times as he thought. Would he even be able to go through with this? Was his sister as confident as she thought she was?

Was she faking it? Would  _ he  _ have to fake it?

_ What the hell are we going to do? _

**_What ARE we doing?_ **

After that day, Arisa then told them they’d be traveling with Kira and Lunari. Kira’s lamp would aid with finding the people they’d need to save, and to identify The Shadows. Lunari’s key staff would help them jump between the Dreamscape and their home realm. Their dragons would help them get around. Their natural magical aura would keep them hidden in plain sight to others…

“Klaus?”

The bookworm jumped, then placing a hand over his chest, clutching at the soft fabric,

“V-Violet-! You scared the  _ shit  _ out of me-!”

She giggled, “Sorry, dude, but you looked so deep in thought… ‘couldn’t help myself.” She grinned. Klaus glowered at her.

“Oh, come on. Don’t give me that look, nerd.” She said, sitting down next to him.

Silence trickled in. Violet stared up at the seemingly endless bookshelves rising to the decorative ceiling.

“The blessing ceremony is in a few days.” Violet said, finally breaking the silence,

“We’ll be going back to our home realm afterwards.”

Klaus stared at the floor,

“But… as different people.” He breathed,

“And for different reasons.”

Violet glanced at him,

“They need our help.”

He looked at her. She turned her eyes to his,

“We’re all they’ve got.”

Klaus glanced away, breathing in deeply.

Violet put a comforting hand onto his knee,

“We’ll be going back... stronger.”


	6. Snowdrift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

“Y’know,” Spyro began one day as he and the Baudelaires sat in the living room, “You don’t gotta do this.”

Violet set the Switch controller down, “It’s our home. It’s being attacked. You’ve done the same, _brother.”_ She said snarkily.

The little purple dragon snorted. She was right, and he knew it.

“Faete.” Sunny nodded, _“They don’t have to, and I’m worried as well… but it’s still our home.”_

“Well said, Sunshine.” Violet winked at her baby sister. The little babe giggled.

“Well, I think you two will be just fine.” Spyro offered, “There’s always potential in beings like us.”

Violet smiled, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Klaus cleared his throat,

“Are you a dream weaver, Spyro?”

Spyro yawned, “Sorta. Maybe? I dunno. I mostly just protect my world. Arisa took me in because I’m an orphan.”

Klaus gave him a confused look.

“Listen,” Spyro said, “Over eighty dragon elders can only take care of a few orphaned hatchlings for so long - they’re all busy - yeah.” He waved his paw around dismissively.

“E- _eighty?”_ Violet asked in surprise. Klaus looked bewildered.

Spyro snorted, “You know how I said I had to save the elder dragon’s asses once? Yeah. Eighty of ‘em.”

Klaus blinked, shaking his head. Violet giggled.

Arisa then came in with Kathrine, the little moth faerie then fluttering over to the children.

“Alright, Vivi and Klaudius, time for your personal preparations!” She said, putting her tiny hands on her hips.

The elder Baudelaires stared at the little floating faerie in confusion,

“Preparations?” Violet asked.

“Uh _durr.”_ Kathrine joked, “This is like any other ceremony, y’know? Those in question gotta rehearse and prepare~!”

Violet shrugged, “I suppose that makes sense.”

Klaus sat up straight, “So… how are we supposed to _prepare?”_

“I’m glad you asked, _moonbeam~!”_ Kathrine mocked, “ _I’ll_ be helping you guys with that!”

Violet gave Spyro an “Oh, _marvelous.”_ sort of look.

“ _Well,”_ Kathrine then said, “Kira too - Arisa doesn’t trust me to do everything by myself - _Which is STUPID by the way!”_

“ _Your self control is atrocious, Kathy.”_ Arisa called from the kitchen.

“NEED I re _MIND_ you all I had a spot on the _Great Faerie Council_ at one point?” Kathrine griped.

“Which you quit,” Spyro mumbled, “Because you got, quote unquote, _bored.”_

 _“I HEARD that you little purple PUTZ.”_ Kathrine hissed at the little dragon. He only stuck out his forked tongue, mocking her.

Violet and Klaus looked at each other, then beginning to giggle.

* * *

After another few minutes of light-hearted squabbling and giggling, Violet and Klaus bid Sunny, Spyro, and Arisa farewell, and they left with Kathrine to-

“ _Where_ are we going, exactly?” Violet asked.

“Good question, sweetie!” Kathrine answered as they walked to the wide, windy fields of the Iridescent Plains near the cottage, “The Celestial Spring!”

“The who what now?” Violet asked once again.

Kathrine threw her head back in exasperation,

“The _Celestial Spring -_ it’s a place in the Sunshimmer Wood. Various dream weavers go there to enchant objects and do other cool junk,” She explained, “ _Including_ getting ready for blessing ceremonies.”

“So, like,” Violet began as Klaus listened intently, “I’m _assuming_ we’re going to _dunk_ ourselves into this spring?”

“You’re a smart little shit.” Kathrine giggled.

Klaus felt some anxiety, “Is it deep? I n-never learned how to swim…”

Violet then began to giggle at him. He glared at her. Kathrine snorted,

“ _Naaaah,_ little dude! It’s shallow - like… four feet of water? Something like that.”

Klaus breathed a sigh of relief.

Kathrine then looked back at them,

“It’s a pretty nice looking place, too. I’ll explain what you’ll need to do once we get there.”

The two children only nodded. They walked for a few more minutes, then coming upon a wall of gorgeous, sparkling trees with soft brown trunks. Their leaves rustled softly in the breeze from the plains, and were bathed in pastel purples, pinks, and whites. Various bushes and flowers of similar colors filled the empty space. Birds and other smaller forest animals could be seen… but they seemed to be dreamlike in quality - like all else.

Violet’s eyes widened at the sight - 

_Could this place… get any more beautiful?_

Klaus looked in silent wonder from the forests’s entrance to his sister, who was in a trance from looking at it. He laughed a little at her reaction.

“Pay attention, nerdos, and follow me closely.” Kathrine piped up, causing the two to jump, “You can get lost pretty easily in here if you don’t know where you’re going.”

“B-because it’s… dreams and whatnot?” Klaus asked.

Kathrine giggled, “Pretty much.”

They followed Kathrine on a well-used path, winding this way and that. The elder Baudelaires were busy trying to keep their focus on the quickly fluttering moth faerie while staring around at the beautiful, quickly thickening canopy.

Soon, the air became filled with a glittering, starry fog. It was thin, and a little warm. The two were afraid to breathe it at first… but then they saw Kathrine take a deep breath,

“ _Aaaah,_ always nice to feel that in the lungs.” She grinned, “We’re almost there, Baudebabies!”

Violet and Klaus looked at each other, a little confused. Violet only shrugged her shoulders before taking in a deep breath herself - 

She _immediately_ felt calmer… calmer than she’d ever felt before. She began to giggle a little, and heard Klaus doing the same. She looked at him,

“I _swear_ none of this is real.” She giggled a little more. He laughed, “No kidding! I’ve been pinching myself every so often since we got here!”

Kathrine silently chuckled at them.

* * *

After a little while more, the three came to an opening in the brush.

The soft dirt and grass transitioned into a white-blue stone with steps leading up to a large, round, shallow pool. A gentle waterfall fell downward at the far back, soft pink roses growing upwards on vines on either side. Kathrine flew ahead, then touching down near the edge of the pool, looking into it. Violet and Klaus glanced at each other once again before doing the same.

The water was crystal clear, and glittered wondrously. In the bottom of the pool, at the center, was a large, crescent moon design.

“This…” Kathrine said softly over the rippling waters,

“Is the Celestial Spring.”

Violet dropped to her knees, curling her fingers over the edge, and looked into the water. Her reflection looked back at her.

 _This is the day it all begins._ She heard a voice say to her. She blinked quickly.

“Alright, I’ll tell you what you need to do.” Kathrine began.

Violet was shaken from her trance as the moth faerie spoke, and Klaus sat down beside his sister.

“All ya gotta do is dunk your wholeass body into the spring - just for a sec.” Kathrine said, grinning.

Klaus looked at her with wild, surprised eyes,

“W- _what?_ ”

Kathrine looked up at them,

“The Spring’s waters have _highly_ magical properties.” She explained, “You can’t just take in all that new dream magic from Arisa by yourselves!”

Violet only nodded, “I… suppose that makes sense?”

Kathrine smiled, “The enchantment from the Spring will act as a binder and sealer for your new powers - it also helps that you’ve already bonded with some dragons.”

“...Dragons are the source of all magic.” Klaus whispered, staring at Kathrine.

“Eeeex- _actly,_ little dude!” Kathrine pointed at him, winking, “You’re a smart little shit. Now, let’s get _dunkin’!”_

Klaus looked from Kathrine to the Spring’s waters. He’d never learned how to swim. Was the water cold? How would it feel? He could go in slowly - it _was_ only four feet… right?

_I don’t want to get water in my lungs. Is this going to hurt? Maybe I should’ve thought about this more-_

There was a large _SPLASH,_ and Klaus was suddenly shaken from his deep thoughts as he saw his sister had already plunged into the water.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly in disbelief,

“ _V-Violet!?_ What the _hell?”_ He shouted. Kathrine began to cackle.

He swallowed, took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut - 

And fell in.

* * *

The water was comfortable. It felt nice. Too good, even. Like a warm bubble bath after a long day. Klaus felt compelled to open his eyes.

He saw his sister, sitting on her knees, at the bottom of the pool. She was looking at the crescent moon.

His lungs began to hurt - he started to panic -

_B r e a t h e._

In a moment of shock and confusion, he opened his mouth and…

It was like he was breathing air.

He then swam - or, tried, anyway - over to his sister, and sat beside her.

She looked at him, her eyes glimmered in the light from the surface, and the glitter from the waters. She tried to speak to him, but… she couldn’t for some reason. This bewildered her.

They both looked at the crescent again.

_Y o u. . . a r e. . ._

That voice spoke to them again-

_. . . T h e n e w d r e a m e r s. . ._

Violet and Klaus both felt like… crying for some reason. Klaus reached out to touch the moon. Violet did the same.

The design beneath them began to… glow. A gilded light. Bright.

On the surface, Kathrine watched, grinning, her arms crossed.

The waterfall stopped flowing.

Her eyes snapped from the two children to the ceased falls - 

“...No… _way_ …”

Underneath the water, the two siblings now had both of their hands on the crescent moon. The water around them began to rush past them, bubbles and glittering waves, the light of the moon shone brighter and brighter - 

Until it became blinding.

* * *

Violet surfaced, gasping for air, grasping at the edge of the pool. Klaus did the same, grabbing at his sister’s arm.

She hoisted herself up, drenched clothes and all, and helped up her brother, who coughed violently. The waterfall had resumed its normal state.

“F-fu-uck-!” Violet swore, pounding at her chest. Klaus flopped down onto his back on the warm stone behind him, staring up at the shimmering canopy.

Kathrine only stood before them, her tiny form still. Wavering.

“...Are you alright?” She asked.

Violet wanted to get upset… really, she did. But… she didn’t want to. Klaus blinked,

“I think… I think we’re ok.”

Violet only nodded.

“...That’s great.” Kathrine said after a small pause,

“Because I _think…_ you were just noticed by the First Dreamers.”

Violet stared at her. Klaus sat suddenly upright, doing the same.

“Wh… what?”


	7. A Sky Full of Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How is it to become a being of pure magical power?
> 
> The Baudelaires will find out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Arisa stared at Kathrine as a now dry Violet and Klaus sat on the living room couch with the tiny faerie, Sunny sitting in-between her siblings.

“...Grand Creator…” The rabbit-eared woman said, wide eyed. She slowly sat down onto a pillow-covered wicker chair nearby.

Kathrine rushed the elder siblings back to the cottage in a flurry, much to their confusion. While they dried off and changed, she explained what transpired at the Celestial Spring to Arisa.

Violet and Klaus were only a little confused, now. They knew about the First Dreamers, yes, but it was like this had… happened before?

Violet asked as such.

“...A long time ago.” Arisa said. She looked pale.

_ Why does she… look so… shaken?  _ Klaus thought. Violet arched her brows in worry.

Kira and Lunari walked in, Lunari rushing over to the Baudelaires. She asked them if they were feeling alright. They said yes. She sighed.

“Arisa and I were part of a group of newer dream weavers at that time.” Kira spoke up, “The First Dreamers are intertwined with the Fates. Whether they exist on a physical plain or not, their presence still lingers.”

Arisa sighed, nodding,

“This means you have… great potential.”

Violet cocked her head to the side,

“I- we..?” She attempted, trying to find words, “That sounds like a wonderful thing, but, you make it sound so…”

“Grim.” Klaus finished for his sister.

Sunny made a little whimpering noise. Violet placed a comforting hand on the little babe’s head.

Arisa only chuckled, “It’s a _wonderful_ thing, little stars but… well, it’s…”

Kira looked at them, her eyes hard,

“It also means you will have to be… very careful.”

“W-what?” Klaus asked softly.

Kira swallowed,

“The Shadows are drawn to powerful dream weavers. I am one of those.”

Lunari looked away.

“Arisa is. There’s a reason why she stays in this realm.” Kira said.

Violet and Klaus only stared at them.

“...If you c-come with u-us…” Lunari’s soft voice cracked, “You m-might be in… grave d-danger…”

Violet felt her heart drop. She clenched her jaw. Klaus’s hand shot to his elder sister’s arm, grabbing it tightly.

She snapped her attention to him, and he stared at her with great worry.

_ B e b r a v e. . . _

The two heard this. They took in a deep breath, and Violet looked up at Kira,

“That’s a risk we’ll be willing to take.”

Klaus nodded.

The elven woman tore her gaze, looking down to the floor.

Kathrine opened her mouth, but closed it again. She looked at Arisa. The  _ kemonomimi  _ closed her eyes, giving a simple nod. Lunari grabbed at her draconic tail nervously.

“Well, the ceremony will go on as planned.” Kathrine said simply,

“In two days time it will be ready, as will both of you.”

Kira only sighed, getting up and leaving. Lunari got up as well, looking from Kira to Violet and Klaus. She bowed quickly, looking apologetic, then rushing out after Kira.

Arisa motioned Kathrine to leave. She did as such.

The room was quiet.

* * *

The rest of that day was mostly silent. Their other siblings had left for their worlds, leaving only the Baudelaires and Arisa to gather for dinner that evening.

They ate quietly. Violet looked up at Arisa, who’s rabbit ears had been drooping since that afternoon.

“M-mom… We don’t have to go if you don’t think it’s safe for us…” She said softly.

Arisa looked at her, a gentle smile on her lips, “My worries - my sorrows - they shouldn’t keep you from doing what you desire, little flower.”

Klaus looked at her, his eyes sad.

“I…” Violet’s voice cracked, “Have you lost someone before?”

Arisa sighed deeply,

“I’ve lost many.”

Klaus bit the inside of his cheek.

_ That makes sense.  _ He thought,  _ She is… really old, after all. _

“I don’t want to lose you.” The bunny woman said finally. Her eyes had welled up.

Violet felt a little guilty, “W-we don’t have to-!”

“No, Violet.” Arisa began, “This has to be _your_ choice.”

The inventor slowly closed her mouth. Klaus looked at her. Sunny sighed,

“Fate.” She said simply.

“Exactly.” Arisa said, “And besides, you will have aid.”

Violet nodded. Klaus looked down at his plate.

“And not just from Kira and Lunari.” She finished.

The two siblings looked at her in confusion.

“You will know it time.” Arisa said, wiping her eyes with a hand towel,

“Now, let’s get cleaned up for bed. There is much to be done in the next two days.” She smiled.

Violet and Klaus felt a twinge of hope, smiling gently.

* * *

The next couple of days were quite busy indeed. Filled with lessons on controlling one’s emotions, meditation, types of spells, the happenstance of acquiring a familiar, being bonded with another dream weaver, and a plethora of other topics.

Violet and Klaus were soaking it all up like sponges, much to the dream weaving women’s surprise. Kira was especially surprised… but they  _ were  _ seen by the First Dreamers after all - and discovered by Arisa.

These two were _born_ for greatness. Far more than they knew.

They would know this in time, they were all sure.

The day finally came, and the two were frightfully nervous.

Arisa had already set out early that morning - Lunari came to wake them. The two children ate, and then set off for the city of Lumiette on their dragons, as instructed.

“Klaus.” Violet called to her brother as they soared over the clouds, “Are we really ready for this?”

Klaus threw his head back, groaning, “I want to find out what happened to our parents, what that secret organization is, why Count Olaf hated us, and why we’re being _‘chosen’_ by the First Dreamers!” He shouted.

Violet laughed out loud, “I do too, I suppose.”

Cristel hummed, “You will make fine dream weavers - Salaria and I are sure of it.”

“Thanks, Cristel.” Klaus grumbled, laying his head on the back of the dragon’s neck. The boy felt a deep rumble as the dragon chuckled, “Of course, my boy.”

“We’ll be with you. Every step of the way.” Salaria said, looking back at Violet. The inventor smiled, “And we appreciate that greatly.”

Their light-hearted flight continued as Lumiette came into view, ginormous tree and all. However, instead of touching down at one of the nearby perches, they continued onward to the tree and its towering spires.

Violet then realized the weight of the situation.

... _ This is it.  _ She thought,

_ This is the day our… our lives truly change forever. _

She glanced at Klaus. He was staring forward, looking calm.

_ There’s no going back. _

_ Once this is done… _

Klaus looked at his sister, and she gave him a gentle smile.

_ It’s done. _

* * *

The two siblings and their dragons landed. Some city guards greeted them happily, Neomi and Eliza walking over to see to them. Cristel and Salaria bowed their heads to their riders and took off to the highest spire.

The highest point of Lumiette - The Tree of Infinity it was called. A palace rested within the canopy of this  _ massive  _ tree - a city hall, of sorts. The two siblings had learned that there was a tree like this in all dream weaver’s pocket dimensions. These trees connected these pocket dimensions. The palace acted as a center for all dream weavers everywhere.

Once they entered it… they saw why.

The massive double doors opened, and they saw a plethora of other dream weavers moving about in a massive, sparkling, pastel hall. Various statues were seen. Gentle, decorative lighting. Dozens upon dozens of little, round glowing sprites flew around, carrying various objects of various importance.

“Welcome to the Palace of Benevolence.” Neomi said simply, “Right now we’re not exactly in Arisa’s dreamscape, but in a place where all of the… other dreamscapes are…  _ connected.”  _ She said, looking back at Violet and Klaus, who were busy staring around in wide-eyed wonder. The rabbit lyn giggled, “If that makes sense.”

“I feel like it does.” Violet said simply. Neomi grinned, “Epic. Let’s get you guys to your ceremony fittings.”

Klaus then sighed, looking at his sister,

“Oh. Right.  _ Fancy clothes.” _

Violet began to giggle as Eliza looked back at them,

“Oooh, come now, silly! You absolutely  _ must  _ look good for such a grand occasion!”

Klaus only looked at her.

She snorted, “Besides, it’s tradition, after all!”

“We have traditions of our own, as well.” Violet commented, “We’re jewish, you see - when someone turns thirteen, we have a big birthday party for them!”

Klaus nodded, “Violet’s bat mitzvah was almost a little too much thanks to mother.”

She then elbowed him, “Well,  _ fine,  _ once you turn thirteen, we’ll have the biggest celebration you can think of!” Which made Klaus only giggle, “Shut up.” He said.

Eliza smiled, “So you understand the importance of traditions, my wittle babies.”

Violet only nodded, still giggling.

“Fantastiiic~! Let’s get you all dolled up then, hm~?” Eliza grinned, her eyes glimmering.

Klaus gave a loud, annoyed groan, and Violet cackled loudly.

* * *

The two siblings were lead to two different rooms so they may be made ready. Violet stood on a stool in the center of a spacious room. It was filled with all sorts of soft, silky looking fabrics. She felt slightly nervous as a plethora of sprites quickly got to work.

Klaus grumbled as he felt one of his own dressing sprites gently tugging on the one long sleeve of a kimono he had on. A few others graced his head with various adornments.

In the great hall, dozens of other dream weavers had already gathered, and Arisa stood at the head of the hall, waiting restlessly. Kira stood nearby, Kathrine sitting on the pale elf’s shoulder.

“It will be fine.” Kira said to the bunny woman, who had begun to rock back and forth on her feet. Arisa whipped her head toward her dear friends,

“I-I’m fine! I know that. I know. It’s… it-” She then sighed, running her hands down her face.

Kathrine stood up on Kira’s shoulder, staring Arisa down,

“Knock it off before I knock  _ you _ off,  _ woman!”  _ She spat. Kira put her fingers to her lips, stifling a giggle in spite of herself. Arisa only glowered at the two of them, her rabbit ears lowering,

“Come off it - you’re being silly.”

“Oh,  _ I’m  _ being silly?” Kathrine squinted, “If you could only SEE yourself right now.” She then cackled.

As the two bickered, Eliza flew up to them and stopped before Arisa, whispering something into her ear. Arisa drew in a deep breath and nodded.

“They’re ready, I assume?” Kira asked.

“...Yes.” Arisa replied, staring out at the chattering crowd. They all stood around, talking excitedly. “ _ It’s been so long since Arisa has blessed new dream weavers!”  _ Some said. “ _ I’ve heard these children were seen by the First Dreamers - can you believe that!?”  _ Others gossiped.

Arisa felt a little dizzy. A little out of breath. She quickly shook her head, trying to snap out of it, then inhaling deeply.

The harps and violins began to play, which signaled the ceremony’s beginning.

_ It’s time. _

* * *

The thousands of floating crystal lights within the massive hall dimmed as the large crowd of dream weavers parted. Arisa and her dear dream weaving friends stood at the head of it all, looking at the entrance to their sparkling students - 

Violet and Klaus Baudelaire.

Their new siblings and Sunny stood near Arisa and the others at the head of the crowd. Callie lifted up Sunny onto her shoulders so the little babe could see her siblings. She cooed loudly, proud.

Violet felt like she was going to pass out.

_ There are so many eyes looking at us. It’s almost overwhelming. _

Klaus took in a deep breath. He glanced at his older sister. He tapped her hand with his. Violet looked at him.

_ ...We can do this. _

She smiled. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled back.

_ Keep it in check. _

_ This is it. _

A plethora of little sprites rushed past them, then flying throughout the great hall, leaving falling stardust in their wake. The only thing that could be heard was the music and the faint chiming of the falling dust that the sprites left behind.

A handful of other sprites showed up beside the elder Baudelaires, glowing in soft purples and blues. The two siblings grinned at each other before walking down the cleared path, making their way to their guardian and their siblings.

Halfway down, two of each of their colored sprites flew off, weaving around each other, and flying up into the air -

In a flash of bubbled light, Cristel and Salaria appeared, flapping their great wings. The crowd “ _ Ooh!” _ ed and clapped as the dragons descended to either side of the raised platform where Arisa and her friends stood.

Violet and Klaus laughed happily, then running the rest of the way. The crowd smiled and laughed with them. Arisa smiled softly at them as they arrived. Spyro, Toon Link, Kirby, Callie, Kanna, Laby, and Sunny all greeted them loudly as they ascended the steps to their guardian. Kira, Lunari, Neomi, Eliza, and Kathrine bowed to them as they came before Arisa.

The music began to play quieter, and the audience silenced. Violet and Klaus bowed to Arisa, who did the same to them.

She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She then looked to her children with a soft smile,

“Violet Malina Baudelaire.” She spoke, her voice echoing throughout the hall, “Klaus Louis Baudelaire.”

She put a hand out to each of them,

“You have been chosen by not only me, but by the Fates and the Grand Creator… to aid in the protection of all realms and timelines of these realms known and unknown.” She continued, “You have… also been worthy enough of the First Dreamers attention, further proving your worth to ascend to the title of dream weavers.”

Violet and Klaus felt a pang of nervousness.

They could stop this at any time. It was entirely up to them.

Were they truly ready for this? Was it really what they wanted?

_ S t e a d f a s t. . . _

Something inside the two of them fought off the dark doubts and fears.

“You have chosen to return to your timeline to aid Kira and Lunari in their mission to save the other struggling souls of your world,” Arisa said, “With this, you have chosen to ascend to new heights - to give up your mortal selves in exchange for a great risk you are willing to take.”

Violet gulped. Klaus realized how tightly he had held his jaw shut, and relaxed it.

Arisa took in another deep breath, relaxing her mind and body,

“Do you truly wish to do as such?”

Violet looked Arisa in the eyes,

“ _ Yes.” _

Klaus nodded,

“ _ Yes.” _

Suddenly, the center of Arisa’s chest swelled with light, which then coursed through her arms. Within the palms of her hands, two glowing orbs appeared. They sparkled, an abundance of color swirling throughout.

_ This must be… her power.  _ Violet thought.

“Take my hands, little stars,” Arisa said, smiling, “And be blessed with abundance and light.  _ Become the heroes… you were meant to be.” _

The  _ kemonomimi  _ became teary eyed. Violet and Klaus smiled at her, their hearts swelling.

Violet and Klaus both placed their right hands onto the woman’s palms...

* * *

The glowing light immediately began to flow into the two children as soon as they touched Arisa’s palms. Violet and Klaus felt a small twinge of pain reverberate through them.

The feeling was almost indescribable - for a moment their hearts ceased to beat, their thoughts were no more, their very life seemed to cease… until they felt a comforting warmth wash over them.

They both took in a loud, deep breath, gasping. The two shivered as their eyes glittered, nearly collapsing. Arisa gripped onto their hands, trying to steady them quietly.

_ The sudden oddity… the pain… of taking away one’s mortality… _

Violet and Klaus came to, and they released their grip from Arisa’s. Violet slowly brought her hand to her chest.

_ Still… alive? _

Klaus swallowed, looking down at his hand.

_ What… was… _

They both looked at each other.

_ I understand, now. _

_ Alive, but not really. Within existence… in a dream. _

Arisa waited for them to come to grips with their newfound… reality before looking back to the audience,

“I am overwhelmed with joy,” Arisa said, her voice catching in her throat, “To present to you our newest, blessed dream weavers.”

The crowd began to clap wildly as Violet and Klaus turned to them.

Tears streamed down the bunny woman’s face,

_ “May the winds of Fate ever be at our backs, guiding us, helping us…”  _ She announced,

_ “Grand Creator look after us-!” _

_ “ _ **_May the Grand Creator look after us all!_ ** _ ”  _ The crowd called back, then erupting into cheers, the dozens upon dozens of magical sprites bursting into colorful fireworks, the music swelling. Violet grinned from ear to ear, beginning to laugh as she looked around. Klaus giggled along with her, meekly waving at the crowd. Sunny and the others cheered and roared with joy. The other dream weaver women beside Arisa applauded, Kathrine, Eliza, and Neomi calling out wildly, much to Kira’s dismay.

Arisa sighed at the sight. Though she was happy, 

She was still worried.

_ I will protect them in any way that I can.  _ She thought,

_ I won’t let them fail. _

_ I can’t. _


	8. The Real World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dreamscape is a beautiful place.  
> However, it is only a matter of time before our new heroes must return to their dark, grim world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

After a joyous after party, the found family made their way back to the cottage. Violet and Klaus changed from their ceremonial robes to more practical, comfortable clothing (To which Klaus was  _ incredibly  _ happy to do.).

They all went to bed soon after some joking and horsing around, the two elder Baudelaires sleeping soundly.

Though, the two soon began to realize the oddity of their newfound powers the next morning.

Violet slept deeply - soundly. She’d never slept so well before. Her dreams were vivid. And when she awoke, she was surrounded by sparkling, blossoming roses. She stared at one, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“What… on  _ Earth?”  _ She muttered, sitting up slowly. The blooms glittered and glowed, casting a gentle pink and purple light. She wrapped gentle hands around one of them, slowing picking it up.

“Those flowers can be used for various spells and such.” Arisa’s voice suddenly came from Violet’s bedroom doorway, causing the Baudelaire to jump. Violet quickly looked to her. Arisa chuckled,

“My mistake, little flower.”

Violet’s still sleepy gaze returned to the large rose in her hands,

“Will this happen… all the time?”

“Depends on how well you dream the night before.” Arisa answered, “And judging by the size and amount of the flowers, you have slept well.” She smiled softly.

Violet rubbed one of the rose’s petals with her thumb - it was soft. Silky.

“They won’t die, will they?” She asked, still trying to wake up.

Arisa hummed, “No, they will not. As long as you draw breath.”

“Where do I put them?” Violet looked at the bunny woman. Arisa giggled, “Wherever you so desire. And when you need them, you’ll use them.”

Violet softly placed her face into the rose, breathing deeply.

_ A spring day. Rain. Fruit trees. _

She felt herself drifting off to sleep again. Arisa laughed before she made her way over to her daughter, plucking the small girl up and cradling her,

“Now, now, let’s get you awake.” She cooed. Violet only grumbled, still holding the rose in her hands.

Kirby appeared in the doorway as Arisa went to exit the room,

“Poyoyo!” He pointed up at Violet.

Arisa nodded, trying not to laugh again, “That’s right, my round little son! Violet’s powers are getting along well with her.”

Kirby smiled in reply, giggling. He then ran down the hall, shouting joyfully. Klaus came out of his room, rubbing his eyes, holding a glowing, pastel blue book,

“Hey, uh, was this s’ppos’ed to just… appear..?” The sleepy bookworm held it up. Arisa nodded,

“I see your powers differ a little from your sister’s here.”

Klaus looked at his half awake sister in their guardian’s arms. Violet blinked some sleep from her eyes before feeling embarrassed,

“M-mom put me down, you’re making me feel silly…”

Klaus snorted, then opening the book. Arisa scoffed, “Come then, little flower. You’re still my little baby!”

“I’m  _ fourteen.”  _ Violet argued, reaching her foot out toward the ground. Arisa, being around seven feet tall, stifled another laugh as she watched the small form in her arms struggle to get down.

“Fine, fine. Down you go, then.” Arisa joked, placing Violet on her feet. The inventor bounced up and down on the plush carpet, “Much obliged.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, “What’s with these weird descriptions?” He said, turning the book’s inside to face Arisa and his sister.

“'Could be anything. An incantation, a healing spell, or even a description of a place, object, or being.” The  _ kemonomimi  _ replied.

Klaus gave her an irritated look, “Thanks.” He said, “That’s super helpful.”

Arisa laughed, “You’ll know soon enough, moonbeam!”

The bookworm only rolled his eyes before following his sister down the hall.

* * *

Later that day, Arisa and the other dream weaver women called for a meeting. Violet and Klaus were invited.

As the two elder Baudelaires entered Arisa’s massive library tower once again, they saw that many other dream weavers had gathered as well. Arisa stood in the center of the large, translucent orb once again. This time however, she was joined by Kira and Lunari.

“Welcome, young dream weavers,” A man covered in pastel purple robes said, “You must be Violet and Klaus. Lady Arisa is looking for you two - go, join her, why don’t you?”

“Ah, o-of course, sir, thank you.” Klaus answered. The two bowed to the man, and he returned the gesture.

“I wonder what this meeting is for…” Klaus said as he and his sister made their way to the center of the large room. Violet rolled her eyes, “It’s obvious you  _ dolt  _ \- they’re making preparations.” She looked up and around as they entered the orb, moving through its wall of light.

Klaus looked up as well, and saw various familiar images, as well as some notes.

“...Oh.” Klaus muttered. Arisa glanced up, then realizing that her children had arrived, smiling at them,

“My little stars, you’re here! Please, come, we’re about to begin the debriefing.” She said as they joined her side. Lunari gave a shy hello. Kira gave a silent bow, then continuing her work.

“Like a mission briefing?” Klaus asked. Arisa nodded, “You four, along with your dragons, will be setting out this evening.”

“Th-this…  _ this evening?”  _ Violet asked, taken aback.

“The Shadows have moved in faster than we had originally hypothesized.” Kira answered, “We don’t have a choice, it seems. We need to keep the souls we’ll be rescuing from being taken.”

“T-taken?” Klaus shivered.

Lunari nodded, “We’ll n-need to work f-fast. I’m s-sorry, Baudelaires.”

Arisa nodded, sighing, “We’re all dearly sorry. I wish I could have prolonged this, but-”

“It’s fine.” Violet said suddenly, “It can’t be helped.” Causing Klaus to stare at her, wide-eyed.

“I-” The boy began, but Violet simply gave him a look. He ceased. He sighed.

“Right, then. Let’s begin.” Kira announced. Arisa nodded.

* * *

“Welcome, everyone. I am Kira. As you may already know, I and three other of my fellow dream weavers will be entering a timeline that is fated to fall. The Shadows have already moved in quickly - far faster than we originally thought.

It is a wedge in our original plans, but we will persevere. As directed, I shall use my lantern to find the souls of those we need to rescue, returning them to this dreamscape. Any Shadows we come across will be exterminated.

A reminder; we are only delaying the inevitable in an attempt to save these souls. We are not to meddle in an attempt to save the _timeline_ .

We will be returning with the souls every so often. We will need aid in helping them settle in.

In conclusion, we ask for your wishes in safety. The light will always conquer the dark, no matter the depth of the struggle.

May the Grand Creator look after us.”

* * *

As Kira finished, the rest of the dream weavers replied, _“May the Grand Creator look after us all.”_

Arisa then stepped up to point out the various sightings, as well as the people they would be saving. Some of the places and names seemed familiar to the Baudelaires.

But they couldn’t place why.

A few of the images showed children around their age. They were blurry, but…

...That was just enough to spark their deepest interests.

“The ‘secret’ organization these people are connected to is currently, and rapidly, ripping apart at the seams.” Arisa announced, “Many seem to die in fire. This means we will have to work quickly.”

Violet felt her blood run cold. Klaus stared at the odd insignia of an eye -

_ The eye on Count Olaf’s ankle. _

_ Was… were their parents… and Olaf… friends at one point? _

_ What happened? _

_ They were all in the same… organization… _

Klaus’s thoughts were running wild. He was attempting to piece this all together as he saw, read, and heard the information being given.

Violet grit her teeth. Their parents hid all this from them? To protect them, she assumed. But what was the point? They ended up getting burned, anyway, just like all the rest.

She felt a pain in her chest.

Her eyes widened in realization. She straightened herself out.

_ They did try.  _ She told herself,  _ And… they did succeed in keeping us alive. _

She gave a deep sigh. She turned to look at her brother, whose brain was currently working like clockwork. He glanced at her,

“I’ll remember all of this.”

“You always do, bookworm.” She replied, looking back to Arisa and the others.

He snorted.

* * *

After the meeting, the solar stars were beginning to set. The sunset cast a gentle glow over the Plains, giving the sky a beautiful mixture of warm colors.

The four dream weavers returned to the cottage for dinner.

“Do we need to pack anything?” Klaus asked while chewing. Lunari giggled.

Kira cleared her throat, “No, Klaus. We can conjure up any items we need.”

Klaus blinked at her. Lunari smiled, “There’s a lot y-you still need to l-learn!”

Violet snorted, “It’s  _ dream  _ magic, Klaus. I thought it’d be obvious that we could do stuff like that.”

Klaus glared at her.

“Don’t give me that look, nerdass.” She giggled.

“Nerdass.” Sunny giggled, which meant,  _ “A foolish boy - and to think - you’re going on a life-threatening mission!” _

Klaus gave his little sister an annoyed look, “ _ Hey-!” _

Arisa laughed, “Now, now - no arguing at the dinner table.” She cooed. Klaus slumped down into his chair as Violet and Sunny cackled.

Kira and Lunari went off to prepare to leave after the meal, leaving Arisa to speak with her children.

The Baudelaires sat on one of the cushy couches in the living room together, Sunny in Violet’s lap. Arisa sat in the wicker chair nearby.

“...Little stars,” She began, gazing at them with wet eyes, “I only wish you to be safe and sound. If… you ever feel it is too much…  _ please  _ come home safe.”

Violet looked down at Sunny, who looked up at her with worried eyes. The inventor inhaled,

“We’ll be brave. We’ll finish this mission.”

Klaus nodded,

“We’ll… see it through to the end.”

Sunny smiled, “Courageuse.”

Arisa wiped her eye with the end of her palm. “W-we’ll be ok, mom.” Violet said, then watching her brother get up and move to hug the bunny woman. Arisa smiled through her tears, then moving an arm to hold him.

Violet then got up, holding Sunny, and went to do the same.

The  _ kemonomimi  _ wrapped her arms around her dear children, holding them close.

They stayed like this for a while.

There was a loud chime. The doorbell.

The four sadly pulled apart, Arisa placing a gentle hand on Sunny’s head. The woman then got up to see to Kira and Lunari.

It was time to go.

* * *

Violet had gathered all the roses that had blossomed that morning into a little globe. Arisa taught her how to magically store it, tapping the top of it, causing it to disappear into a burst of light and glitter. Violet giggled.

Klaus sighed, watching the book that he had awoken to that morning float alongside him.

Arisa knelt down to the two of them as Kira and Lunari readied for their departure. The bunny woman held Sunny in her arms.

“Know that you will never be alone. I will always be there for you.” Arisa said softly. She then produced two, small orbs in her hand,

“These are communication orbs. Please, contact me whenever, wherever, little stars.”

“...You meant that literally.” Klaus smiled, “That you’ll be there for us.” 

Violet chuckled.

Arisa smiled, “Of course.”

Kira cleared her throat as Arisa stood up, Sunny babbling in her arms,

“My Lady - we are ready to depart.”

Arisa nodded sadly.

Violet and Klaus smiled at her before looking to Kira and Lunari, who nodded to them. The two Baudelaires began to walk over to them - 

“Ah-! I’d almost forgotten!” Arisa suddenly called out, then placing Sunny onto her little cloud, which appeared beside her. Violet and Klaus gave her a confused look as Arisa ran over to them,

“I have a parting gift for you, my little stars.” She said gently, then closing her eyes.

She waved her hands around carefully as they began to glow, then patting their heads. In a burst of bright, purple and blue light, their clothes changed.

Violet and Klaus looked down at their new clothes, beginning to smile. Violet whirled around in surprise, and Klaus grinned, adjusting his glasses.

“A parting gift, my children.” Arisa said, “Something that… _matches_ you more.” She then smiled, and Sunny clapped, floating over to them.

“Thank you.” Violet said, her eyes glittering.

“For everything.” Klaus continued for his sister.

Arisa got weepy again, nodding to them. Sunny quickly floated over to her siblings, throwing her arms up,

“Hyagui…” The little one cried,  _ “I’ll miss you to the moons and back.” _

Violet felt a tear run down her cheek as she and Klaus hugged Sunny tightly.

“We’ll miss you, too, Sunshine.” Klaus whispered.

Lunari sniffled. Kira sighed,

“We will return soon with our first rescue. We will remain in contact.”

Arisa nodded, “Be safe. The winds of Fate beckon. The Grand Creator will keep you safe.”

Kira smiled, then nodded to Lunari. The Baudelaires pulled apart from their hug, Sunny watching them as her older siblings walked over to the two women.

Lunari took in a deep breath, flipped her large keystaff in her hand a couple of times with a flourish, then pointing it up to the sky. Its tip glittered, then a bright light shone. The draconic lyn flipped it around once again, then pointing it out in front of her.

The shape of an arched door began to glitter into view - it had a large keyhole in the middle. Violet and Klaus watched in wonder as it appeared fully, and Lunari shoved her keystaff into the keyhole, turning it quickly to the left.

_ Click. _

The door swung open, and a strong, chilling breeze blew past the four of them. Violet threw both of her arms up in front of her face, and Klaus squeezed his eyes shut, shielding his eyes with one arm.

“The aura is dark.” They heard Kira mutter. They lowered their arms to see Lunari nodding.

“We’ll see you on the other side, little stars.” Kira said, then stepping through the door. Lunari nodded to them, then doing the same.

Violet and Klaus looked back at Sunny and Arisa. Their baby sister waved wildly at them as Arisa smiled,

“Go.” She reassured them.

The two siblings only nodded, waving back.

They walked through the doorway.


	9. Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baudelaires have their first encounter of a beast from The Shadows...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

The dream world they knew melted around them… and the world that replaced it was dull. And gray.

Violet and Klaus looked around them. They were in the middle of a long road. On each side were bare, seemingly dead trees for miles upon miles. It smelt awful.

Among this gray, depressing world, the four dream weavers were the only ones who were bathed in promising colors.

“Our first soul goes by the name of Doctor Montgomery Montgomery.” Kira said, lifting up her staff, the lantern at the end glowing brightly, “If we’re lucky, we’ll get there before The Shadows do.”

Violet looked around her, her eyebrows arched. Klaus swallowed hard.

“...It’s felt like forever since we’ve… been here…” Violet said softly.

“Y-yeah…” Klaus replied,

“It feels…”

He looked down the long road,

“... _ Wrong.” _

Suddenly, they felt a great gust of wind from behind them. This wind was warm - comforting.

Violet and Klaus whipped around to see their dragons - Salaria and Cristel - landing behind them, and the portal-esque door slamming shut.

“Cristel!” Klaus shouted happily, “Salaria! You’re here!”

Salaria nodded, “As your humble steeds, we shall aid you in getting quickly to any and all destinations. We have been informed of all areas of the timeline, young masters.”

“Oh,  _ nice!”  _ Violet grinned,

“Ahm, wait, w-what about Kira and Lunari-?”

“Worry not, Lady V-Violet!” Lunari smiled, “We are master dream weavers. We w-will arrive there around the same speed as you - p-perhaps earlier!”

“You may think of it as…  _ teleportation  _ of sorts.” Kira said tiredly, “Now go - we shall be right behind you. There is no time to lose.”

Violet and Klaus only looked at each other and shrugged before climbing up onto their dragons, bidding the women farewell.

Salaria and Cristel took flight, beginning to follow the rocky road ahead.

* * *

“...How do you think Montgomery Montgomery knew our parents?” Violet asked a few minutes later. Klaus shrugged, “We’ll have time to ask those questions once we’ve brought him back safely.”

He then chuckled,

“What a  _ name _ , though.”

“Don’t be foolish, dipshit. Be kind.”

“You just called me a  _ dipshit,  _ Vi.”

“There’s a difference.”

“Oh, do tell,  _ dear sister?” _

Salaria and Cristel laughed softly at the siblings’ bickering. “We’ll be arriving shortly, so please do keep your squabbling to a minimum, young masters.” Salaria smiled. Violet cleared her throat, “R-right.” 

Klaus grumbled and blew some hair out of his face.

A large house came into view - it was quite nice, which looked odd among the darkness that surrounded it.

It had various plants in the shapes of different reptiles, and an odd hedge maze in the shape of…

...The eye symbol.

“We’re  _ definitely _ going to be asking questions, then.” Violet muttered.

They gazed down at the house again, and saw that a large, glass room was seen. They couldn’t see much into it, however, since an abundance of flora had grown over it.

Klaus hummed, “I’m going to guess Doctor Montgomery Montgomery is a herpetologist.”

“A who what now?” Violet asked as they descended to the entrance grounds.

“A person who studies reptiles, sometimes amphibians.” Klaus replied while cornering his eyes.

“You could’ve just said that, my dude.” Violet said as they slipped off their dragons. Klaus only gave her a look and she giggled.

In a soft, dusty, sparkling mist, Kira and Lunari appeared. They greeted the Baudelaires.

“We’ve been making good time - we should be able to-” Kira began,

“How exactly are we going to convince a grown man to come with us?” Klaus asked accusingly, “We look like we’ve come from a circus.”

Violet slapped the back of his head. He swore at her, going to rub his head.

Lunari giggled, “A good q-question, Klaus! It will be j-just as we e-explained to you - the t-truth.”

The children blinked at them.

“Reality is sometimes a hard thing to believe,” Kira muttered, “Now, as I was saying-”

Again, she was interrupted, but this time by her staff.

The lantern at the end began to… emit an eerie, dark smoke. Lunari gazed at it with shocked eyes. Kira felt her skin crawl.

“W-what does that mean..?” Violet asked, looking at the falling smog.

“Nothing good, clearly.” Klaus said.

Kira looked from her lantern to the house. Then up to the sky. It looked even dimmer than before. Grayer.

“...They’re already here.” She whispered. Lunari stood up straight, holding tightly to her keystaff, “We’ll have to s-slay whatever beast is within those w-walls, then.” She said, her face stern. Kira sighed, “Of course.”

“Doctor Montgomery’s in danger!?” Violet squeaked, looking to the house in a panic. Klaus stared at Kira. Lunari began to walk to the door.

“Unfortunately, yes.” The elven woman answered,

“But remember, we are dream weavers. We have the capabilities.”

Klaus and Violet glanced at each other, deeply alarmed.

Lunari turned back to them,

“Stow your f-fears, little warriors. Do not l-let it c-consume you. Channel it into c-courage.” She reassured them.

Violet only nodded. She held out her hand has Arisa had instructed her, and breathed deeply. The globe with her roses in it appeared in a bubble of light. She then let it float beside her.

Klaus swallowed, looking at the floating book he still had.

“Do what feels natural. Be strong. You are the light.” Kira instructed gently.

The Baudelaires nodded, calmer, but still anxious.

The four walked up to the herpetologist’s house.

* * *

Kira slowly pushed open the door with her staff, the lantern swaying slightly.

The inside was trashed. Photos thrown and torn, rugs and wallpaper ripped, stairs broken and caved in. All the furnishings had been destroyed. The balcony that the two sets of stairs had led up to had collapsed in front of a large doorway.

“‘Guess we won’t be going up.” Violet whispered.

“We’ll be going through,” Kira nodded, pointing through the balcony’s wreckage, “The nightmare must be in there.”

Lunari nodded, holding her keystaff readily before her,

“And if w-we’re lucky… Montgomery.”

They then continued to move, quietly and carefully, and Kira used her magic to move debris out of their way.

Something suddenly hit the Baudelaires. A realization.

_ This is… one of The Shadows.  _ Violet felt her heart drop.

_ Those… those images… we saw of those beasts… _

Klaus felt a lump form in his throat.

_ A terror unlike… anything we’ve seen before… _

The siblings looked at each other, their eyes wide with crippling fear.

_ One of them is here and in person. _

_ And we’re going to see it. And fight it? _

Kira raised the debris in front of the doorway. A heavy looking door had been torn straight from the hinges. It was nowhere to be seen.

Lunari made her way through. The Baudelaires had stopped in their tracks, their feet glued to the ruined wood beneath.

Kira sighed, then looked back at them.

“...It’s c-clear.” Lunari whispered back to them, “For n-now.”

Kira looked at the stiff children behind her, “Stow your fears, little stars.”

Violet grit her teeth, and took in a deep breath. Klaus clung onto Violet’s hand. She nodded at him, feeling his clammy palm,

“Channel that fear into… courage.” She whispered. To herself or to her brother?

Possibly both.

They made their way into the room - it was the glass dome they had seen outside. It was dim - the only light that could be seen was from a half-broken lamp on the floor. The air felt uneasy - deathly cold. The place was a mess, from what they could see. Just like the rest of the house.

There were a plethora of cages, but they were wrecked. Some were completely crushed, others ripped apart.

Klaus looked around, feeling dread - 

Corpses of dead reptiles and amphibians lie scattered on the broken tile floor, the damaged furniture-

Violet hushed him softly, and Kira looked at her staff - shadows still poured from it.

“Damn it all.” She whispered. Lunari held a stiff hand back to stop them at the side of a splintered desk. They halted.

Something slithered around one of the broken legs. An inky black snake. It looked terrified.

“Oh, you b-blessed little t-thing…” Lunari whined softly before bending down to it. She offered a hand, and it licked it. It stared at the others, then to Lunari. It turned its head, as if to point somewhere.

“F-follow you..?” Lunari asked gently. The viper looked back at her. It nodded.

“A-are sure we should… do… that..?” Klaus stuttered. Violet squeezed his hand,

“Be calm. It’s probably going to lead us to Doctor Montgomery.”

“Precisely.” Kira answered, then following Lunari and the serpent as they began to move. Violet pulled Klaus along behind her.

The black viper slid along the ruined tile flooring, and eventually came upon a dark-skinned man with a well-groomed mustache. The snake then tapped the leg of the downed man, and he stirred,

“Oh, Inky… you’re back…”

“You must be Doctor Montgomery Montgomery,” Kira said, quickly going to his side, “You’re gravely injured - we’re here to rescue you - try not to move too much.”

He looked up at Kira curiously,

“Are you an… angel perchance?”

She chuckled, “Something of the sort. I am Kira. That is Lunari.”

Lunari bowed her head for a moment as she summoned some healing items.

The Baudelaires knelt down to his other side. He was bleeding badly from his side, his cheek and forehead had been cut up. His arm looked raw.

He stared at them for a moment,

“...Violet and Klaus Baudelaire?” He asked, looking at the two glittering children beside him. Violet smiled softly and nodded.

“My dear bambini… Gustav and I… we wondered where you had gone…” Monty then winced in pain as Lunari quickly began her work.

“What do you mean?” Klaus croaked. Monty sighed,

“You were… originally supposed to be… in our c-care…” He gasped, “But that  _ vile…  _ man…”

“Count Olaf.” Violet spat.

“...Y-yes. Him…” Monty breathed, “But then… you three disappeared..!”

“We were found and taken somewhere safe.” Klaus explained, “This… world  _ isn’t _ safe.”

“Evidently not… the…  _ beast  _ that attacked me…” He grit his teeth (Lunari apologized softly), “It came… I told Gustav to… to  _ run.  _ And it… destroyed my  _ home - killed  _ all of my dear reptiles… my amphibians…”

Inky nudged his hand. Monty attempted a smile, “All but… one of course…”

“Where is the beast?” Kira asked.

“It slipped off... into this billowing… black fog…” Monty replied. Lunari wrapped his arm carefully after rubbing the wounds on his face with some glittering gel.

“ _ Shit.”  _ Kira hissed, “That means it’s still here - of  _ course  _ it would still be here, why wouldn’t it be? It wants his soul-”

She stopped, hearing a scraping on the glass above them from across the room. Monty froze in fear, looking in the direction of the noise. He said nothing. His mouth merely hung slightly open in abject horror.

“M-Montgomery..?” Violet asked

Kira quickly got up, hopping up and around various bits of debris, flicking her lantern upward. It immediately began to glow brightly, blinding the Baudelaires for a moment.

The elven woman swung her staff around to the location of the noise, bringing the lantern’s light toward it - 

And there… was a creature among nothing that the Baudelaires had ever seen before. Violet clasped her hands over her mouth, and Klaus fell backwards, his heart beating fast.

Kira stood absolutely still, and Lunari grabbed her keystaff.

“Be ready.” Lunari whispered.

The children exchanged frightful, confused, hopeless looks.

* * *

The nightmare clung to the glass dome, it’s form huge. It had taken the shape of something… lizard like. Its scorched, pitch black body was covered in bloodshot, pulsating eyes. Long, sharpened claws dripped with a red substance.

Klaus felt himself get sick. Violet’s head went fuzzy - her body went numb.

The creature unhinged it’s long jaws, completely opening up like a book - 

And within, it was  _ filled  _ with rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth. In the center, one, large, bloody eye stared directly at Kira’s lantern.

Violet felt hot tears run down her face. Klaus’s chest began to hurt deeply.

The eye then slowly turned to Monty. One of the beasts’ claws twitched.

Monty immediately passed out.

“Passed o-out due to s-shock-” Lunari whispered, glancing at him, “Common c-case, though not s-safe.”

She then looked to the Baudelaires, who looked pale. She instantly threw her keystaff around them, drawing them close, and began to sing,

_ “You~ are an o-cean of waves~” _

The stiffness in Violet’s body began to quickly fade, and the blindness in her eyes started to clear.

“ _ Weaving a dream, _

_ Like thoughts, _

_ Be-come a river stream~” _

Klaus relaxed, his body warming up.

“ _ Yet~ may the tide~ ever change~, _

_ Flowing like time, _

_ To the path,  _

_ Yours to climb~” _

The beast from The Shadows gave an ear piercing, guttural scream upon hearing the song. Violet and Klaus’s gaze both became stern.

_ C h a n n e l y o u r f e a r s _

Violet stood up quickly, running under, over, and through various bits of debris, floating along gracefully, and Klaus quickly followed along behind her. Their chosen weapons floated at their sides. Kira looked at them, smiling.

_ T u r n t h e m i n t o…. _

The beast then leapt down from the glass, landing haphazardly, splashing the area with the, what Violet assumed, blood.

Kira acted quickly, detaching her staff from the lantern, spinning it around, creating a wall of magic that the "blood" splattered onto.

The nightmare roared again, then lunging toward Violet, who moved quickly to the side, jumping toward the floating lantern. She grabbed onto it, swinging around the beast as it grazed her dress. It crashed down onto the tile, breaking it up even more. It clamped it’s jaws shut, the other eyes staring at her.

**_C o u r a g e._ **

The eldest Baudelaire then used her magic to pull the roses from the globe, and they floated about her. Klaus then moved his book to open it, and looked inside. He quickly scanned the first two pages, finding what he may need-

_ It slithers in shadows, it eats at the soul. The eye at the center - the point of weakness. Be wary of the toxin. It will burn - this is not a... reversible injury. _

Klaus swore quietly, though thankful Kira had acted so quickly. He snapped the book shut, then breathed in deeply. A shield of ice surrounded him, and he moved to Violet’s side-

“THE EYE!” He shouted over the noise, “IN ITS MAWS - THAT’S THE WAY TO KILL IT.”

Kira nodded at him, and flicked her staff downward, the lantern returning to it. It swung heavily as she quickly brought it back behind her. It created a blinding pink light, and she swung it forward.

Several long ribbons of pink light shot out toward the beast, and it screamed once again - far too human for comfort. The ribbons wrapped around it’s various limbs and dripping body, tying it down. Kira blasted some debris away quickly to acquire a flat surface to stand on, slamming the bottom-end of her staff down in front of her,

“ACT QUICKLY, BAUDELAIRES.” Kira called out to them, “I WON’T BE ABLE TO HOLD THIS BEAST FOREVER.”

Violet nodded, then she smiled at her roses softly, “I’m sure more will grow.” She whispered before throwing the floating, glowing flowers to the beast. Its skin devoured the blooms, and for a few moments, nothing happened. Klaus looked at her in worry, but she was silent, her eyes closed.

She whispered a small prayer, and bowed.

Then, in a flourish of pastel color and light, large, beautiful vines shot out from the beast, causing it to scream again, this time in deep pain. Huge roses began to bloom, forcing the beast to open it’s jaws again, exposing the quickly moving eye. It looked in all directions in a panic, it’s body billowing with black smoke.

Klaus nodded to her as she giggled at him. He gave her a thumbs up before moving quickly to the beast, putting both hands out - the shield moved, centering in front of him. It quickly formed a long, sharp spear,

He clapped his hands together, and the sound reverberated throughout the large room. The spear shot forward,

And hit directly in the center of the nightmare’s eye. Klaus grinned, and Violet threw her fists up in celebration.

Kira smiled as the ribbons faded.

The beast screamed and wailed, thrashing around. In one final movement, it threw it’s jaws upward…

And exploded into a massive bubble of colored light.

The sky above slowly became a bright blue again, and stardust fell carefully downward. Violet and Klaus ran over to each other, falling into a tight hug,

“We  _ did it!”  _ Violet cried, overjoyed.

Klaus laughed as he held onto his sister, “Y-yeah! Yeah!  _ Yeah, we did!” _

He let go of her and jumped up and down, “ _ HELL yeah!” _

Kira shook her head, smiling softly.

Lunari came up from behind a desk, standing up, “He is s-stable, though I don’t th-think his arm will h-heal.” She said sadly.

“Right,” Klaus looked back, suddenly remembering Monty, “His arm must have come in contact with the toxins the beast excreted - m-my book told me that.”

“Impressive.” Kira smiled at him. The bookworm beamed with pride.

They then looked around at the destroyed home… and the vanquished animals. Lunari whimpered, looking back to Inky,

“I’m… so s-sorry little s-sweetheart.” She said, walking over to a slowly healing, still passed out Monty. Inky had curled up on top of his lap. It only nodded sorrowfully. It then laid its head down.

“...It must have used the souls of the animals here to transform into that… that  _ thing.”  _ Violet suggested. Lunari was surprised, “That’s r-right, Lady V-Violet!”

Kira sighed, looking to Monty, “Let’s… return to the dreamscape. Quickly. It isn’t safe here-”

“ _ God above - what happened here?”  _ A terrified voice came. They all whirled around to see a handsome, bearded man in the doorway.

“You must be Gustav.” Kira bowed, “We have apprehended the beast, though this world is not safe. We are ready to transport you two to the dreamscape ASAP.”

“...That…  _ nightmarish creature  _ did all  _ this?”  _ Gustav asked. Lunari nodded.

“And you lot…  _ beat  _ it?” He questioned.

“Precisely.” Klaus answered. Violet nodded, “I’m Violet Baudelaire, and this is my brother, Klaus. Sunny is safe in the dreamscape, which is where we call home, now, by the way.”

Gustav smiled, “So you’re the Baudelaires. You - _children,_ even - killed such a mortifying beast!”

“Please, come with us. We will explain once we’re in a safe environment.” Kira said quickly.

Gustav ran a hand through his hair, “Anywhere is safer than here, I suppose. I don’t think I’d want to find another one of those… creatures.”

“Neither do we,” Kira smiled, “Lunari, if you could? I shall take care of Montgomery, no worries.”

Lunari then nodded, then moving to an open space to perform the portal spell with her keystaff. Kira took to the bandaged Monty, using her magic to float him carefully on a soft, white cloud.

“I’m not… entirely sure what to make of you.” Gustav said to the Baudelaires. Violet giggled,

“We’re dream weavers, sir.”

“Dream weavers?”

“We’re magical beings who use dream magic and… banish The Shadows.”

“I’m assuming that was one of… _The Shadows?”_

Violet nodded to him. He blinked in confusion, “Interesting.”

“We’re sorry about the animals…” Klaus said softly, his eyebrows arched. Gustav only sighed, “If it wasn’t that, it could have been something else. We’ve had… others on our tail for quite a while, now.”

Klaus only nodded.

“Which reminds me - is there a chance I could contact someone from this world in… in yours?” Gustav asked.

“...I’m not entirely sure.” Klaus replied.

Violet glanced up, seeing Lunari had unlocked the portal door, Kira carefully stepping through it with Monty,

“If it makes you feel any better, if you don’t mind, there are…  _ dragons  _ in the dreamscape.”

“D- _ dragons?”  _ Gustav asked, “ _Real?_ Dragons?”

Violet giggled, “Yes!”

Klaus nodded, to which he then remembered. He raised his hand straight up into the sky, the crescent moon appearing on the back of it, glowing faintly.

“Monty will be  _ ecstatic!  _ I-” Gustav began, watching Klaus as he did this.

Salaria and Cristel soon swept through a large crack in the glass dome above them, landing by the large portal doorway.

“Two souls rescued - a good number to return home with, young masters.” Salaria smiled.

Gustav gawked at them.

“Come - let’s get home.” Cristel bowed to them before entering the door. Salaria bowed as well before following behind.

Violet giggled, “Come on, let’s go!” She said giddily, grabbing the man’s hand and leading him to the door. Klaus snickered as they all ran through the door, into the light.

The door slammed shut behind them, locking tightly.

A shadowy figure watched carefully from the doorway, their boney fingers curled around the splintered wood.


	10. Amalgam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their next destination is brought with some unfortunate events, to no surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Doctor Montgomery Montgomery was quickly brought to Lumiette city’s healing residence, and Gustav waited by his side as the Baudelaires explained their story. The room they were in was bathed in a gentle mint and blue light, and they sat in various chairs as Monty slept deeply in the hospital-like bed.

The filmmaker was confused, but delighted. At the end of their tale, he settled his head in his hand, an elbow on his knee.

“It is a wonder, really, that such things exist - “ Gustav murmured, “One could only imagine what you could do for our side of V.F.D.-!” He began excitedly.

Violet cleared her throat, “We won’t be working with… that.” She said simply, “Our duty as dream weavers is to protect those from The Shadows.”

Gustav blinked at the girl,

“You sound as if you dislike the idea.”

“V.F.D. got our parents killed.” Klaus snapped. Violet put a gentle hand on her brother’s shoulder. He looked down at the floor.

Gustav racked his brain to try and find an argument or… even an  _ answer  _ of some kind, but…

Nothing could come to him.

After all… if what they said was true… about the debriefing they had received... they already knew…

“I understand.” Gustav said, “And going by what you’ve said to me… then our… time as members of V.F.D. is all but done.”

“Yes.” Violet answered simply, “You’ll be… living here. A new life. A happier one.”

Klaus sighed,

“It’s just better to let that all go, honestly.”

Gustav blinked,

“I…”

The Baudelaires looked at him.

“...For some of us, really, ...V.F.D. is all we’ve ever known.” He finished. Violet sighed. Klaus clenched his jaw.

The eldest Baudelaire looked dearly at the filmmaker,

“Maybe it’s time to… get to know something new.” She offered.

Gustav stared at her for a moment. He swallowed. He curled his hands into fists. He uncurled them. He sighed,

“And you might as well be right, Lady Violet.” He replied, smiling gently, almost sadly, really.

Violet nodded her head once before standing up. Klaus stood up with her, and they both bowed to Gustav. He nodded to them.

“We must be going now, Gustav.” Klaus said, “Others still need our help…”

“L-let us know when Monty awakens.” Violet piped up. Gustav smiled,

“Of course, Baudelaires.”

The two siblings then began to leave, their steps echoing on the clean floor.

“Good luck… and be safe.” He called after them. Klaus turned back,

“...Thank you.” The boy said, then looking down at the floor as he followed his sister out.

* * *

“...I thought you said this place was a tourist trap?” Violet said as they walked around the near empty, gray lakeside town, “There’s nobody here.”

“Hm, yes, well,” Kira sighed, “We were informed that it is currently the…  _ off  _ season.”

“S-something about a h-hurricane, too.” Lunari nodded. Klaus double took the draconic lyn,

“A  _ hurricane?  _ This place is beside a _lake._ ”

“It is  _ apparently  _ a very  _ large  _ lake.” Kira spoke tiredly, “Now, we’ll need to find our next soul - Josephine Anwhistle. Just as Montgomery was your ‘uncle’, Josephine is your ‘aunt’.”

“Wonderful.” Violet muttered.  _ Why wouldn’t their parents just tell them these things? _

_ It would have lessened the blow. _

“Though not r-related, they are still p-part of your l-lives.” Lunari explained, “Hopefully this t-time we won’t be l-late…”

“We won’t be.” Kira announced sourly, “Not this time. We can’t keep letting people get injured, Lunari.”

Lunari only nodded.

“The people that are actually  _ here _ aren’t even  _ looking  _ at us.” Klaus said. Kira chuckled,

“Remember, we have a protective aura that allows us to hide from common people.”

“Ah.” Klaus replied simply.

Violet hummed, “So, souls that don’t matter?”

“Souls that are d-destined to be claimed by t-the end no matter w-what we t-try to do.” Lunari replied.

“..O-oh…” The inventor replied sheepishly.

They had almost walked past an odd restaurant when Kira’s lantern chimed. She looked up at the sign,

_ The Anxious Clown. _

She summoned her communicator orb, and looked through the names. One glowed.

_ Larry Your-Waiter. _

“Ah,” She sighed, “Of course. Larry.”

“Shall we bring him with us?” Lunari asked, “Or take him to the dreamscape right away?”

Kira sighed, “Let’s just take him with us. Violet, Klaus - summon your dragons. We’ll head to Josephine’s home.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, “You want  _ us  _ to talk to this…  _ Larry?” _

Violet cornered her eyes for a moment.

“Yes.” Kira replied simply. The bookworm grumbled. Lunari looked at him apologetically,

“W-we need to make sure A-Aunty Jo is ok.”

Violet only nodded, trying not to look apathetic.  _ We don’t even know these people. _

_ ...Don’t think that way.  _ She squeezed her eyes shut.  _ If they’re worthy of being saved, they’re worthy of your time. _

Klaus raised his hand straight up, the crescent then glowing a soft blue. Salaria and Cristel appeared from the clouds soon afterward. He smiled at them.

“We will be expecting you.” Kira said before turning to leave. Lunari smiled gently,

“We w-will call if there is an e-emergency.”

“Of course.” Violet replied, bowing to them. The two siblings then entered the establishment as the two women vanished.

* * *

It was very dim inside, and definitely looked like a run-down fast food place. Violet looked around carefully. She did a gut check… it didn’t feel entirely safe. The placed her hand at Klaus’s chest to keep him from walking further, and summoned her globe.

She was thankful she had rested well again the night before. The roses were still as beautiful and large as the ones before them.

Klaus stopped, and the two silently looked around the room.

“...Larry?” Violet called out.

There was some loud clanging, some muffled swearing, and then a tall, thin man appeared from the kitchen door,

“H-hello! So sorry about that - I am Larry, Your-Waiter-” He stopped, then seeing the children before him,

“...Violet and Klaus Baudelaire..?”

Violet nodded, “Yes. We’re here to… bring you with us?” She looked at Klaus for confirmation. Klaus only shook his head quickly at her while shrugging his shoulders.

“What? Where have you been..? Why are you dressed like that, why-?” Larry rambled on, smiling at them as he ran up to them.

“We’re dream weavers.” Violet answered, “This world is doomed to die. We’ll be taking you to the dreamscape.”

Larry stared at her. He looked at the floating globe beside her. He poked at it curiously.

Klaus cleared his throat,

“Have you seen anything out of the ordinary lately? Like, per say, monsters… or… something?”

Larry blinked at them. Violet audibly sighed.  _ He thinks we’re insane. _

_ Or… _

_ He thinks he’s dreaming. _

Larry looked like he was thinking for a moment, then leaned in,

“To be fair, Baudelaires, I  _ have  _ been having some issues with some odd looking…  _ vermin? I think?”  _ He whispered to them. Violet gave him a “What the fuck?” look.

He breathed heavily out of his nose,

“I can’t just  _ tell  _ people this, y’know! They’d think I’m _crazy_ , I-!”

“Tell us what they look like.” Klaus interrupted.

Larry stared at him. He scratched the back of his head,

“Well, they’re uh… small. And they  _ look  _ like the Lachrymose Leeches, but…  _ different.” _

Violet looked at her brother, “So, small, look weird, definitely some beasts that are part of The Shadows.”

Klaus nodded, “Right.”

Larry gave them a confused look as they began to search around. Violet stopped,

“Klaus - your book - what does it say?”

“Ah!” The bookworm clapped his hands together, the book swinging around to his face, “Right, of course! Now-” The book swung open, the pages flipping, then stopping - 

“ _ Small and bloodthirsty, they hide in the dark. Far from mother, they seek food. Though easy to destroy, the angrier 'she' will become…” _

“What in the hell and fuck does  _ that  _ mean?” Violet snipped at him, then beginning to look in dark corners.

“If we kill these things it could… piss something else off.” Klaus breathed. Violet looked back at him,

“Alright, then. We’ll deal with it later.”

“I don’t-” Klaus stopped, knowing better than to argue with  _ Violet. _

She grinned, “Exterminator hours are  _ now,  _ plucky boy.”

He squinted at her. Larry looked between them, confused. Magic was real. They were using it. He assumed Sunny Baudelaire was in this ‘dreamscape’ they had mentioned before.

“I-I’ll just assume you two know what you’re doing.” He finally said.

Violet looked at him, smiling tiredly,

“Never assume that.”

“We’re not a fancy organization like V.F.D.” Klaus grumbled, “We’re just trying to save people from being killed.”

Larry suddenly looked taken aback. Klaus glanced at him,

“I’ve seen some things… in my dreams…”

Violet hummed, picking up a tiny, wriggling creature, covered in sharp spikes,

“I think I found one.”

“Yep that’s… definitely a Shadow.” Klaus shivered at it. It let out a small screech and thrashed about, Violet trying not to get cut by it.

Klaus walked quickly over to her, and she flicked a finger from her free hand. One of the large roses quickly floated over to her, and she placed the little beast into the bloom.

The flower then immediately consumed the creature, and it vanished into a bubble of lilac light.

The siblings blinked at the occurrence.

“Uh.” Klaus said slowly.

“...Yeah I think that might’ve killed it.” Violet whispered.

“I don’t think we have a choice, then.” Klaus muttered. She sighed. Larry looked at them, confused as all hell.

“...Alright, then - let’s clean this place out.” Violet said, then stepping into the middlemost area of the establishment. She raised her hands upward, breathing deeply, the globe of roses floating to meet the space between her fingertips.

She hummed, and the globe shone brightly, the roses within then bursting into a flurry of glitter and lavender light - 

In dark corners and nooks of the restaurant, several bright lights went off one after another, a tiny, loud screech of pain emitting from each.

Klaus looked around, uncertain, but he assumed they were doing the right thing. Larry watched in wonder as the young girl worked her literal magic.

“Remarkable…” The man whispered as Violet lowered her arms, her work complete. The nearly empty globe floated back to her side, only a few flower petals remained. She looked at it worriedly.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Klaus said to her, “Let’s get to Kira and Lunari.”

“Who..?” Larry asked.

Violet nodded, then turning to Larry,

“Come with us - we need to rescue Aunt Josephine as well - assuming you know her.”

The waiter nodded slowly, “I… I do.”

“Let’s be off, then.” Klaus said.

* * *

Larry’s reaction to the elder Baudelaire’s dragon steeds was around the same as Gustav’s, but a little more frightened. The man held on tightly to Cristel - perhaps a little too much - as they flew to Josephine’s.

The sky had darkened suddenly halfway through their trip, and the wind had greatly picked up. The hurricane, they assumed. Larry called it Hurricane Herman.

But deep down, the Baudelaires knew this wasn’t  _ just  _ the hurricane.

And they were right.

Upon landing in front of a partly dilapidated house off the edge of the cliffs, the wind was knocking harshly at the rickety house. Lunari ran out, protecting herself from the wind and rain with a shield of white and blue magic,

“ _ L-Lord Klaus! Lady V-Violet!!”  _ She called over the howling noise, “ _ The b-beast within awoke suddenly-” _

_ “It was SLEEPING?”  _ Violet yelled. Klaus instructed Larry to stay where he was, hopping off of Cristel’s back.

“ _ I-it went r-rabid! Lady Kira is inside - s-she’s attempting to s-slay the beast b-but your a-aunt-!”  _ Lunari replied,

_ “She… sh-she’s not stable-!” _

Violet furrowed her brows, Klaus already running past his sister. She followed him into the house. Lunari watched them as they went inside, and she prepared a stability spell to cast around the house, slamming the end of her keystaff into the wet ground before her.

It was even darker inside - not as dark as Monty’s had been, but still eerie. They heard the howling of the wind - and the hissing of something worse.

“bAUDELAIRES-!” A woman’s panicked voice came, “That elf woman - Kira!? She told me - you’re little heroes,  _ blessed  _ be - I’m not being very grammatically correct right now, am I? Oh,  _ God-”  _ She whined, stumbling down the stairs and collapsing at their feet,

“I’m  _ terrified-!” _

“You must be Aunty Jo,” Violet mumbled, “Good to know, well-”

“Grammar means nothing right now, Aunt Josephine.” Klaus said, knowing he’d regret it. The dark haired woman scoffed at him, “ _ Klaus-!” _

“We’ll need you to remain calm, and be brave - try not to pass out, if you can.” Violet instructed her, who only nodded. Another screech was heard, and Kira screamed. The closed doors before them burst open, the elven woman stumbling backward. A loud, howling wind blew past them. She was breathing harshly,

_ “It - the - the window shattered!”  _ She yelled,  _ “Tell Josephine to get to the dragons - get her and Larry to a safer place-!” _

There were sounds of thrashing, crashing, and screaming. A few books and papers flew past them out from the pitch black darkness before them. A large, long black book with gilded writing slammed down at their feet - 

_ The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations. _

Klaus and Violet stared at it. Josephine gazed at it… lost in thought…

Klaus snatched it up, then staring at his own book. The book glowed, and the bookworm lifted it up to it and - 

Both of the objects glimmered brightly, and the black book disappeared into a flash of stardust, which Klaus’s book seemed to… absorb.

Josephine simply stared, her lips slightly parted.

“ _ That’ll come in handy, I’m sure.”  _ Violet yelled through the howling winds. Klaus only nodded, and the two turned to the pitch blackness of the room before them - 

As Kira shouted at them, their attention turned to the sudden appearance of a plethora of bloody eyes, which seemed to spiral inward. Kira gulped, then threw out a few globes of light from her lantern.

It lit the inner sanctum of the beast’s new chamber - Josephine’s library.

The Baudelaires felt the air grow cold as ice around them, and the wind stood still. It became deathly silent.

The four beings gaped in fear at the newly lit nightmare before them.

* * *

The plethora of eyes belonged to its  _ mouth.  _ The massive leech-shaped beast was covered in jagged, sharp, rusty-looking nails. Several human-like limbs were clutching onto the floor and walls around it. The limbs looked half eaten, burned, bones exposed.

It dripped with a dark, black sludge, staining whatever it landed on.

Kira grit her teeth,

“Too late.”

Violet glanced at the elven woman, then breathed in inhaled deeply,

And exhaled,

“Be brave - feed the courage, not the fear.”

Klaus nodded.

Josephine suddenly stood up,

“...You’re right.”

They looked back at her - 

“Josephine, don’t-” Kira began, but the woman then ran past them, yelling. The beast’s eyes turned from all of them to just her, and two of the limbs flew from the walls to her in an instant-

But she stopped them with her own two, bare hands.

The three dream weavers behind her stared in deep surprise.

Kira swore, and Klaus used this bought time to work his own magic.  _ There’s water all around here,  _ He thought,  _ I can freeze it… _

Lunari stepped into the house slowly, looking tired, and she stopped.

Her eyes grew wide,

“W-what.!?” She purposefully stuttered.

Josephine gave a horrible growl to the equally screeching beast she was holding back. Klaus was deep in focus. Violet looked desperately at her globe - it was empty. She was clueless - powerless.

_ A r e y o u r e a l l y ? _

She couldn’t hear that.

It was too uncertain. Her hearing was muffled.

Suddenly,

The nightmare’s several other bone-exposed limbs began to quickly move, one grabbing at Josephine, yanking her upward. She screeched in anger.

Klaus remained focused. His mind’s eye was focused on the water below the house - slowly freezing, climbing upward, sharp-

Violet backed up, terrified. She didn’t know what to do. Kira tried to work quickly, tying down many of the nightmare’s limbs, breathing heavily.

One of the limbs broke free as the one holding Josephine was tied down - the free limb grabbed onto her leg and-

Klaus looked back at the others,

“ _ GET READY TO RUN WHEN I SAY ‘NOW’!”  _ He screamed, “ _ LUNARI, DROP THE SPELL AFTERWARD.” _

Lunari nodded shakily-

They then heard a horrible, sharp-

**_CrrRRaCckK_ **

The breaking of bone, the tearing of flesh, the splatter of blood, and Josephine screaming out in pain. Violet watched in horror as the nightmare held her leg in one of its sharp, bone-like hands.

The inventor began to sob, covering her mouth. Kira panted, staring at the now passed out woman. Lunari stepped back slightly, letting out an agonized cry.

“ **_NOW!!_ ** ” Klaus screamed, grabbing his sister’s hand and running out. Kira used all of her strength to tie down the remainder of the nightmare’s limbs with ribbons of light, grabbing onto Josephine, and throwing her limp body toward Lunari, who summoned a white, sparkling cloud for her to land on. The two women dashed out with Josephine on the cloud.

The Baudelaires ran over to their dragons and Larry, who had heard the familiar scream of his dear friend, then staring at the near-lifeless, bloody body on the cloud as the others ran out.

Lunari ripped up her keystaff from the ground, the house then splintered, shattering.

It fell, along with the beast, who screeched, and Klaus ran over to the edge.

He watched as the nightmare was run through with the massive ice spike he had created.

It gave one final ear-piercing scream before it exploded into a soft cloud of icy blue stardust.

Klaus collapsed onto the dirt, Violet on her knees sobbing beside Salaria far behind. Kira and Lunari quickly began their work to stop the bleeding on Josephine’s... injury.

Larry gazed at the group in shock.

Cristel walked over to Klaus, picking the boy up by the back of his collar in his jaws, then placing him on his back. Salaria nudged Violet, who was shivering - sobbing.

Kira grit her teeth, letting go of the stub as Lunari created a large, magical patch that sealed the gory area shut.

“She’ll s-survive.” Lunari breathed, “But it w-will… take her a f-few days to r-recover.”

“ _ I’m so fucking sorry!”  _ Violet wailed, “ _ I didn’t know what to do- I didn’t have any roses! I’m- I- They- It-!” _

Kira ran over to the girl and cradled her, holding her tight,

“It’s not your fault, little flower.”

The inventor clung to the elven woman tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. Salaria looked at the fading darkness before them, where the house once was.

* * *

Violet sat upright in her bed that night, feeling empty. A sharp ache sat in her chest.

The lunar bodies glimmered brightly in the pastel night sky, casting a comforting glow through the sheer lilac curtains of her window.

Violet flinched, hearing her door open. The sound had snapped her out of her dissociative state.

Arisa slowly entered the room, looking sorrowfully at her daughter. Violet then hung her head down, ashamed.

“I’m sorry.” Was all she could say, her voice cracking.

Arisa walked over to the girl’s bedside, kneeling down,

“For what?”

“I  _ failed.” _

“Did you?”

“ _ Yes!”  _ Violet cried in response, “Aunt Jo was  _ hurt! Badly  _ hurt! Because I couldn’t-” She hiccuped,

“ _ I couldn’t do anything.” _

Arisa brought the inventor into a tight hug, confusing her.

“W-why are you-?” She whispered.

Arisa stroked her hair,

“Nobody said you had to be perfect. Nobody said you’d know everything from the get go.”

Violet let out a shuddered sob.

“Nobody said you had to bring souls home in one piece.” Arisa continued, “And nobody said you would understand your powers completely right as you’ve just begun.”

A gentle warmth began to fill Violet, calming her.

_ She was right. _

The girl slowly brought limp arms up to hug the bunny woman.

“What do I do if my roses are gone.” Violet asked quietly.

Arisa smiled, “Look inside yourself. Bring out your  _ own  _ power.”

Violet sighed. Arisa held her daughter close,

“ _ The dream inside you - the one you want to see come true, use that, and you will see your mission through.” _

Violet pulled away from Arisa, looking up at her through wet eyes. They glimmered with hope.

“...Thank you, mom.”

Arisa smiled, nodding,

“You can _do_ this.”

Violet blinked, smiling slightly.

“I  _ know  _ you can.” The  _ kemonomimi  _ finished, cupping the girl’s face in her hands.


	11. Zephyr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a mission gone slightly awry, Violet, Klaus, and their two dream weaving mentors, Kira and Lunari, decide to take a step back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Violet woke up the next morning feeling determined. The roses that bloomed around her as she awoke glittered in a total soft purple light. The inventor gathered them up into the globe, the cogs in her mind whirring quickly.

She opened up her door quickly, “Klaus?” She called out. The boy was carrying a plethora of glimmering books from his room as he walked down the hall,

“G’morning sis.” He yawned. She stared at him.

“Where did-?”

“I woke up with them.” He replied, then turning the corner to the stairs. She blinked at him, then walked quickly to catch up with him.

“After yesterday’s… _occurrence,_ I decided it was time to get a little more… serious.” The bookworm said as they made their way down the stairs, “I woke up to a plethora of these books, which is either excellent, or worrying.” 

Violet rolled her eyes, “Real shit? I’m thinking we can’t just do this on our own, y’know.”

“We have Kira and Lunari.” Klaus corrected her as they walked through the foyer.

“It hasn’t seemed to be enough.” Violet argued, scoffing. Klaus grumbled.

Arisa walked through the kitchen doors, placing some pancakes on the table nearby, then looking to her children,

“Oh, my little stars, good morning!” She sparkled, “You seem to be doing better!”

Violet hummed, “Klaus and I have a lot to discuss.”

The bookworm cornered his eyes, gently putting the stack of books beside his place on the table dining table. Arisa smiled knowingly. Violet sat down at her spot, and Sunny suddenly flew quickly over to Violet, slamming into her and holding tightly.

“SISSIE.” She shouted,  _ “I THOUGHT YOU DIED!” _

The littlest Baudelaire then looked to Klaus,

“BRUDDER.” She nearly wailed,  _ “YOU GUYS CAME HOME SO LATE, I DIDN’T GET TO SEE YOU!” _

Violet smiled, hugging her closely, “I’m _so_ sorry, Sunshine. A lot happened and…” She sighed. Klaus pushed his glasses up his nose,

“...And we had some people to talk to… and some things to talk about, as well.”

Violet only nodded.

Sunny bonked her head into Violet’s shoulder defiantly. Violet started to giggle, then taking the babe and putting her back on her cloud.

“Relinquo.” Sunny said, her bottom lip trembling,  _ “You’re gonna leave again, aren’t you?” _

“Actually, no. Not today, at least.” Klaus smiled, “After yesterday, Kira and Lunari have decided to rethink their plan of attack - to which I agree.”

“And we have to do some planning - right, nerd?” Violet looked from Sunny to Klaus, who cornered his eyes,

“Yeah. Also, shut up.”

She snickered.

Arisa had been watching them quietly, eating. As the three then began to eat as well, she cleared her throat,

“Whatever you  _ do  _ end up doing, please do be careful.”

Klaus looked at her with his fork in his mouth. Violet continued to peel an orange she had grabbed,

“Whatever do you mean?”

Arisa hummed, “Many spells can be dangerous, and if not performed properly… could go awry.”

Klaus blinked. Violet only nodded, “We’ll try our best.”

Arisa only smiled.

After breakfast, the two elder Baudelaires got up, thanking Arisa for breakfast. Sunny then floated around as they began to leave, stopping them,

“Non!” She squealed,  _ “I’m coming with you - if it’s at home, I’m going!” _

Violet and Klaus both stared at her for a second before beginning to giggle, “Alright, Sunshine, you can come with us.” Violet cooed. Sunny babbled happily as she followed them out the front doors.

Arisa sighed while she cleaned up.

* * *

“So where’re we headed, little man?” Violet asked as they began to cross the Iridescent Plains once again. Klaus grumbled, “We’re going back to the Sunshimmer Wood - the Celestial Spring - I found a spell that might help us.”

The wind gently whipped around them as they walked along, the solar bodies above them glimmering brilliantly. The skies were as gorgeous as ever; Starry with a plethora of pastel colors, massive soft, white fluffy clouds moving along the colorful canvas of the sky.

Violet nodded, “Sounds intriguing - tell me more.” She said, then seeing some little white and pastel brown bunnies hop by them. She waved at one that stopped to stare at her for a second. It blinked, squeaked, and waved it’s little paws. The inventor began to giggle.

“Well,” Klaus began as he summoned one of his books, “We’ll have to be at the Spring to perform it,” The book swung open, it’s pages fluttering, “And it has something to do with… a  _ mirror…  _ or something.”

“A mirror?” Violet asked. Sunny floated down to one of the bunnies, and it hopped around in circles, making her belly laugh.

Klaus’s book stopped on the page he was looking for, then beginning to scan it once more,

“It’s a little... _cryptic_ on the explanation, but I think I’ve got it.”

Violet patted Sunny’s head, “Then is it  _ really  _ a good idea?”

“It’s basically saying it can summon the aid of other dream weavers for us,” Klaus argued, “Around our age - willing to help.”

Violet turned to stare at him, holding Sunny in her arms like a teddy bear, who had a little bunny on her head.

Klaus turned to them - and stopped.

There was a moment of confused silence for a moment as he stared at his sisters and the little rabbit on the youngest’s head.

“...What?” Violet asked.

Klaus shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut, then blinking quickly,

“Nothing. We’re doing this thing - come on.”

Sunny began to belly laugh again, and the little bunny hopped down. Violet placed Sunny back onto her cloud, and the bunny wiggled its nose at them. Sunny waved at it before she floated after her siblings.

* * *

The sisters followed their brother, who had memorized the well-worn path to the Spring. He was still staring at his book as he walked along. Violet looked all around the forest, occasionally plucking up other little blooms, and placing them into her globe. Sunny cooed and waved at various little forest animals, who called back to her, making her giddy.

“Y’know,” Violet said, placing a glittering snapdragon into her globe, “Arisa said whatever we’re going to do might kill us.”

“She didn’t say  _ that, “  _ Klaus argued, “She just said we needed to… be careful!”

“Kaboom.” Sunny said, throwing her little hands up in the air,  _ “We could explode!” _

Klaus squinted at his little sister, who cackled. Violet grinned.

“Shut up, both of you. If something goes wrong, it goes wrong.” The bookworm snipped.

“Damn… dead before I can even get my first kiss.” Violet complained loudly. Sunny made a face at her, and Klaus summoned another book, bapping Violet on the back of the head. She complained loudly and he only hummed sarcastically in reply.

They arrived at the Spring soon after, climbing up the steps. Violet ran over to the edge, slipping off the glittering ballet flats and frilly knee socks she wore, then sticking her legs in. The cool, enchanted water refreshed her. Sunny went to float over the water, looking at her reflection.

Violet smiled,

“Hey, remember when we almost died in here?”

Sunny blinked at her.

“We didn’t ‘ _ almost die’ _ , and that was  _ literally  _ days ago.” Klaus said snarkily, stopping at the edge of the lake. He looked from his book to the water before him.

“‘Feels like it was  _ just  _ yesterday.” Violet teased, kicking her legs in the water. Sunny cackled.

“Fffuckin…  _ shut  _ it - and get out of the water,” Klaus grumbled, “I need to perform the spell, dipwad.”

Violet rolled her eyes, reluctantly getting up. She snapped her fingers, and the water on her legs slipped off her skin, vanishing. Sunny floated over to Violet’s socks and shoes, picking them up and handing them to her. Violet smiled, taking the items and squeezing the little babe’s cheek.

“Welc.” Sunny beamed.

Klaus inhaled. He looked at the water before him. He exhaled. He stared at the pages in his book.

“Alright,” He cleared his throat, “I guess… here goes nothing?”

“Just do it, ya loser.” Violet called, pulling her socks and shoes on. He cornered his eyes, grunting.

He double checked the book, then closed his eyes, the book snapping shut. The bookworm then carefully slid his feet slightly apart, balancing his body. He inhaled once again, slowly bringing his hands together, up to his chest. He exhaled. The water before him rippled from the center, outward.

Violet and Sunny watched quietly, the youngest Baudelaire’s eyes glittering with excitement.

The water began to shimmer, glitter rising upward. Klaus was murmuring something under his lips - a prayer.

The sunlight that slipped through the canopy of the forest hit the rising stardust, the rippling water. Violet felt compelled to pull a rose from her globe. She slowly scooted over to the edge of the pool and, gently, placed the bloom into the water.

It made its way to the center, being pulled by the strong magic,

And Klaus bowed.

The flower slowly opened up more, then seeming to flatten, the petals fanning out. There was some stillness as it slowly spun in the center, the ripples ceasing.

Then, the glittering stardust fell back down to the water,

And it seemed to become so still…

It looked like glass.

Klaus opened his eyes, seeing the mirror-like water. He stepped back slightly, Violet staring at the water, sitting on her knees. Sunny floated over to her elder sister’s side.

There was a collection of chiming bells, like a distant melody from another world,

Then in the center,

Within a soft, glittering white and blue mist, 

Three bodies appeared, draped in somewhat darker garb than the three children on the edge of the mirrored water.

The boy moved first, turning and stretching, “Well, that was easier than I thought.” He remarked. A little toddler sat up, blinking, “Felt weird.” She simply said. The eldest girl turned her attention to Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. She smiled, her eyes glimmering,

“Oh, hello!” She bowed, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Violet and Klaus  _ stared  _ at the three before them, and Sunny waved and the toddler, who waved back.

“I’m Lilac Baudelaire,” Lilac said, “And these are my siblings - Nick and Solitude. Though, we call her Soli.” She giggled.

* * *

Klaus stood, dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, staring at Nick. He rubbed his eyes again. Nick snorted, “You good, buddy boy?”

Soli ran over to Sunny, who held her hands up in the air. The two grabbed each other’s hands and began to giggle excitedly.

Violet slowly got up, trying to steady herself as she watched Lilac and Nick make their way over to them. As soon as they had all stepped off the glassy water, it returned to normal, and the flower Violet had used vanished into stardust.

“‘Place isn’t much different from our’s.” Nick said to Lilac. She only nodded, “It’s a mirror world, Nick. Not  _ everything  _ is going to be different.”

“New siblings!” Solitude babbled happily as Sunny giggled. Violet looked at Klaus, who looked at her,

“What did you  _ do _ , Klaus?” She asked him. Klaus swallowed,

“I think I know what the mirror thing meant, now.”

“ _ Real shit?” _

“I think these are-” Klaus began,

“-Mirror versions of yourselves.” Nick finished for him.

“We’ll gladly help you.” Lilac smiled, “After all, we’re like siblings, really - just as Soli said.”

Violet then began to grin wildly, jumping onto Lilac and clinging to her. The older girl laughed, hugging her back.

“So, quick run down,” Nick cleared his throat, “Our dream weaver guardian is named Asira, her aesthetic is more…  _ pastel goth.”  _ He explained, “Lilac is a year older than Violet, I’m the same age as you, Klaus, and Solitude is a year older than Sunny.”

“...G-good to… know…” Klaus said, dazed.

“Violet,” Lilac said, “I know you’re worried about running out of your blooms, right?”

Violet nodded feverishly.

“Asira is just Arisa backwards.” Klaus said suddenly as Nick walked past him.

“Yeah?” Nick called back, “What about it, plucky fuck?”

Klaus squinted at him, “You what?”

Violet began to giggle, “I like this dude.”

Lilac pulled on her hand, “Here, come with me,” She said, leading her to one of the trees by the waterfall,

“The water from the Spring has been soaking the trees nearby for centuries,” She explained.

Violet’s eyes lit up-

“If I combine the highly enchanted wood from this tree with the flowers from my globe…” She thought, the gears turning quickly in her head, “Then I could make a staff!”

Lilac nodded, “That way, you’ll feel safer.”

“‘Probably make your magic more stable, too.” Nick called as he summoned his own glittering books, to which Klaus gazed at with wide eyes.

Violet nodded, then immediately got to work. She went to the tree, climbed up it, and sat on one of the stronger branches. She looked up, gazing at various other branches. She reached up, grabbing onto one of the limbs above her, and summoned a small hatchet.

“Of course.” Lilac grumbled.

The feral inventor slammed the pastel hatchet into the limb, cutting it away from the tree carefully. Lilac stepped out of the way as the limb fell to the stone below her feet with a soft  _ thmp. _

Violet then slid down the trunk, the hatchet disappearing into a bubble of light. She fell to her knees in front of the limb, and grabbed some vines from the rose bushes nearby, carefully not to cut herself.

She then grabbed some of her roses - and the flowers she had plucked up during their way to the Spring - from her glass globe, and began to wrap and tie the vines and blooms to the tall, thin branch.

As she finished her work, Nick and Klaus walked over to the two elder Baudelaire sisters. Violet stood up, holding the flower-adorned branch in her hand. It stood as tall as her. She made a face.

“It could be… better, though.” She muttered. Lilac chuckled. The feral inventor then ran up to the edge of the Spring’s pool, lifting up the makeshift staff in both hands. She gazed at it for a moment,

Then threw it up in the air,

And it fell into the water with a soft  _ splash. _

Klaus stared at her in confused astonishment. That was, until the object was suddenly pulled underwater. Violet put her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. She watched the water work its literal magic. Lilac walked up to her side and watched intently as well.

Soon, the staff rose straight up from the water, splashing everything nearby (Lilac put up a small shield of magic for her and her new sister, while Nick stepped behind Klaus, letting him get splashed.). Sunny and Soli were far enough off that they were safe from the water.

Klaus glared at them as he stood, partly soaked.

Then, all of their eyes turned to Violet’s new staff - 

A glittering pastel purple wonder - it had an intricate floral design climbing up the long handle to the tip, which sprouted off into a plethora of multi-colored petals and soft green leaves. Violet’s eyes glimmered as she raised her hand up, the staff snapping into her hand. She looked at it carefully, feeling it’s weight, stroking the petals,

“Perfect.” She whispered. Lilac smiled.

“Magnifique!!” Sunny clapped her little hands. Soli nodded, applauding as well, “Truly amazing!!”

Klaus snapped his fingers, the water on him returning to the Spring, drying himself, “I have a feeling I’m going to be annoyed ten times as much.”

Nick cackled, “‘Might as well get used to it, dumbass!”

Lilac shook her head, “Nick,  _ please.” _

The others giggled.

* * *

They talked quite a lot on the way back to the cottage. Lilac explained that their mirror world’s events had gone somewhat smoother than this ones. The mirror Baudelaires had a little more experience than the other Baudelaires, to which Lilac said she’d be glad to help them in any way that she and her siblings could.

Solitude, however, was still too young to go on escapades with them, to which Violet and Klaus understood (At least Sunny had a buddy, now.).

“Will you have to… go back?” Violet asked.

Lilac shrugged, “I’m not sure, but based on track record, I think we can go back and forth whenever we please.”

Klaus blinked, “Track record?”

Nick snorted, “Dream magic is pretty kind to you - when you do it _correctly_.”

Klaus raised and lowered his eyebrows, shrugging. When someone is right - they’re right.

Once the group returned to the cottage, Arisa was only a little shocked to see three  _ more  _ children. Though, she knew about mirror spells and mirror worlds, so she had no choice but to welcome them in. The mirror Baudelaires were a little taken aback by Arisa at first, seeing as how Asira was a little on the darker end of the pastel shaded spectrum.

“Nevertheless,” Arisa cooed, “Welcome, little dream weavers - and baby.”

Lilac, Nick, and Solitude smiled. “Thank you, Arisa.” Lilac said, “We’re happy to aid our mirror selves.”

“...Are we gonna need Kira and Lunari, then?” Klaus asked. Violet squinted at him,

“How else are we going to find the souls and even  _ get  _ to our world without Kira’s lantern and Lunari’s keystaff?”

Nick snorted.

“...Right.” Klaus swallowed, embarrassed.

“I mean, we  _ could  _ try to replicate their weapons, but those types of weapons with that grade of magical prowess come from years and  _ years  _ of practice and whatnot.” Lilac explained. Nick rolled his eyes.

“Right,” Violet said, “So, tonight, we talk to Kira and Lunari, get this shit settled, then we’ll be off again in the morning.”

Lilac nodded to her.

“Where’re we sleepin’.” Nick piped up. Arisa giggled, “I’ll conjure up some rooms for you - I’m sure I can replicate them from your mirror world, right?”

“Sure hope so!” Solitude said. Lilac giggled.

* * *

_**[Extra 1/?]**_

“So I’ve got flowers and plants and shit - what do you have?” Violet said to Lilac as they all sat in the garden outside the cottage.

Lilac opened a hand, and several, glittering winged beauties flew from her palm in a puff of stardust, “Butterflies, sometimes dragonflies.”

Violet raised her eyebrows, “Oh,  _ nice.” _

“Seems like small things that can fly - birds if I’m determined enough.” Lilac commented. Nick nodded, “She had a purple phoenix show up one time. Crazy shit - you should’ve been there.”

Violet laughed out loud.

“Whaddayou got, bud?” Nick asked Klaus, “I know we both have spellbooks and shit, but I can summon these shiny gemstones and turn stuff to crystal.”

“Ice.” Klaus simply said.

“Like, turning water into ice and-?” Nick asked,

“Pretty much. Just. Summoning it… turning water into ice… all that stuff.”

" _Inch resting_. I'll keep that'in mind."

"I'm definitely going to get irritated by you, won't I?"

"Bet."

Lilac pushed a braid behind her ear, "Quit fighting, you two."

"We weren't even _fighting,_ Li." Nick scoffed. She gave him a look. The boy only tittered.


	12. Shadow of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next mission leads to an unfortunate, unforeseen circumstance... with a twist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Jacquelyn looked over the list of disappearing people associated with VFD. For some odd reason, she wasn’t as alarmed as you think she _should_ be.

In fact, she was happy.

This meant they were somewhere far from the evils of this city.

Hopefully, whatever force was driving those to disappear kept acting.

However, the higher volunteers were _not_ happy - thus, she was one of the other remaining _active_ volunteers to figure out why the disappearances were happening.

She sighed.

_Why can’t they just leave well enough alone._

_This damn organization is as good as doomed._

_Just like this Godforsaken world._

She closed her eyes for a moment before folding up the list and sticking it into her coat pocket.

One day she’d find a way out.

* * *

“Ooookie dokie,” Violet said, “Apparently we’ll be going to a lumber mill today. Something about an optometrist lady, and optimist, and a gay dude in an abusive relationship.”

The four of them sat in a gazebo by a stream near the cottage.

“Yep.” Nick said.

“You act like you know something.” Violet looked at him. Nick sniffed,

“We’ve already been through the wringer with our world - but the thing is, we’re not allowed to talk about it.”

“Wh-?” Violet gasped.

“Father said to never trust optometrists or optimists.” Klaus spoke up suddenly, “And why can’t y-”

“We, for some reason, are physically unable to talk about our world,” Lilac tried to explain, looking annoyed about it, “So we can’t tell you exactly what happened and how to deal with it.”

Violet and Klaus blinked at them.

“Don’t worry about that other shit, buddy boy.” Nick said to Klaus, “As long as her name is on that list, we can save her.”

“...Hopefully.” Lilac spoke.

“We _can_ give you like. Super _vague hints_ I think?” Nick wondered aloud.

Klaus gave them an exasperated look.

“You should be happy I’m even trying to help you fucknuts.” Nick squinted at them.

Lilac stood up and yawned, “Anywho, Kira and Lunari should be here soon so we can leave.”

“Remember to stay on our toes, guys.” Nick reminded them, “It’s dangerous as fuck.”

“Real shit?” Violet asked sarcastically, “We’ve seen those fucking things.”

Klaus shivered, “I don’t think I’ll… get used to… seeing those.”

Lilac hummed, “You won’t.”

The bookworm gave her a wide eyed look, “ _Thanks_ for that.”

“‘Course.” She replied.

* * *

They four young dream weavers, Kira, and Lunari returned to Violet and Klaus’s world, arriving just outside a ruined town.

“...What happened here…” Klaus said as Violet went to his side, clutching her new staff.

“A fire.” Lilac said simply.

Violet snorted, “Well, _clearly.”_ She turned to her, “But by _who?”_

“Don’t believe what a man in a beard and the seeing eye woman say.” Nick replied simply before summoning one of his books,

“The truth lies in books, like some do.”

Klaus blinked at him, “Sometimes the truth can be from words.”

Nick cornered his eyes, “Semantics.”

“Not really.” The spectacled boy argued.

“Now is not the time for bickering,” Kira sighed, “We need to get through the gates - the air is already thick with evil - can you feel it?”

The four kids were so busy chattering that they hadn’t noticed their grim surroundings - 

The half-destroyed town had an uneasy aura about it. An odd, dark fog had settled. The tallest building they could see - one of the only buildings not yet destroyed - was a building with an eye window.

“Of _course._ ” Klaus said as a general observation, fog and all. His sarcasm reached most but Lunari,

“We n-need to h-hurry.” She breathed

Nick cornered his eyes, shaking his head quickly.

The six then made began to move.

A tall, gangly, shadowed figure slipped into the darkness nearby.

* * *

_There was that feeling again._

Jacquelyn’s head snapped up from her work. She stared at the bank’s large double doors before her, now lost in thought.

_Something is certainly here - or someone, at least._

_Maybe it’s connected._

_She wouldn’t have lied to me._

The auburn haired woman glanced at the clock behind her, then her gaze fell to Mr. Poe’s door. The man hadn’t come into work for quite a while.

Something wasn’t right.

Jacquelyn had to follow that sense. She needed to figure out what was going on.

She needed to find a way out. Before it was too late.

* * *

Kira and Lunari pushed a large, wooden gate open,

“ _Lucky Smells.”_ Klaus read from the sign on the gate, “I wonder how this place connects with V.F.D.…”

“Our parents were probably here once,” Violet spoke up as they entered the lumber mill, “Probably something to do with the town burning down.”

“Something of the sort.” Lilac replied.

A sudden shiver ran down the mechanic's spine. She stopped in her tracks. The others stopped as well.

The air was even thicker within the mill’s area - the sky was an eerie shade of dark green, like a sickly smog.

“Maybe we’re too late.” Nick muttered, "So much for books."

Kira hushed him suddenly - a crunching noise was heard nearby - 

“Ah- h-hello..?” A worried voice came from behind one of the tall stacks of flattened wood.

“A-ah,” Lunari spoke softly, “Y-you must be Ch-Charles!”

The kind looking man looked white as a sheet, his eyes had bags underneath, his face stained with tears,

“Please tell me you’re here to d-do something about those… _monsters…”_ He spoke shakily.

“Not _too_ late,” Violet grumbled, “Just fashionably late.”

Lunari ran over to him, inspecting him for any injuries - outside or otherwise. Kira brought her staff before her, the lantern swinging gently from the movement.

The shadows poured down from the openings, and Kira ground her teeth together. These shadows were nearly pitch black, tumbling out and downward onto the wood chip covered ground.

“That’s not good.” Lilac whispered.

“ _Charles!”_ A shrill voice came from just ahead of them, where the building with the eye window was. Nick and Lilac’s heads snapped up, recognizing the voice - 

“I _told_ you to _stay in the building!”_ A woman with glasses and short brown hair spat. She was holding onto a long, dark cane, “Do you _want_ to get killed by those damn things? _Fucking hell-”_

“You must be Georgina Orwell,” Kira said, “Tell us the situation. We will apprehend any and all beasts from The Shadows.”

Georgina stopped in front of Charles and Lunari, then looking to Kira,

“And who are you all, then?”

“Th-they said they were g-going to help us..!”

Upon further inspection, Klaus and Violet saw how tired the optometrist looked. Well, more absolutely fed up than tired.

“...What are you, _cosplayers?”_ She snickered.

“...We’re _dream weavers.”_ Klaus replied sassily.

Georgina squinted at him, “You look familiar. Like a younger version of an _ex-_ friend of mine.”

Lilac swallowed.

“We need to get to a safer place,” Kira spoke quickly, “Georgina, could you take the children into the building? Lunari and I need to find the source of this darkness-”

“One; Yes. Two; Those demons are in the lumber mill - they’ve killed all the workers.” The optometrist spoke quickly, gripping her cane tightly.

Kira stopped cold, her eyes widening. A desperate cry left Lunari’s mouth.

“I tried to help - I-I really d-did!” Charles cried from Lunari’s arms, “S-Sir was too far gone, too far gone-!”

“...All the workers?” Klaus asked in a whisper, “Was there one who was… oddly far too happy for his own good?”

Charles swallowed, shivering, “The… the f-first to g-go…” He stammered.

Kira swore loudly, stabbing her staff into the ground, causing sparks and glitter to fly up, the earth beneath them trembling.

The elven woman quickly turned to Lunari,

“We’re going to the mill. Georgina. You heard me. They will aid you and Charles.”

Georgina merely rolled her eyes,

“Clearly we’re dealing with something far beyond our control, Charles.” She spat bitterly, “I’m sure there’s - hmmm, _something_ something… _divine intervention -_ going on. Come then, children. Charles, get up.” She rambled, then turned on her sharp heel.

Violet squinted at the woman.

“Still a piece of work.” Nick muttered.

Violet ran over to Charles and Lunari, “Lunari, you go - I’ve got him. Klaus, come on.” The inventor said, motioning to Klaus. Lunari only nodded, and Violet gently took Charles’s hand. The draconic lyn followed Kira to the smoking building nearby.

Violet used to staff to summon a small, white rose, handing it to him,

“Hold this. You’ll feel calmer.”

Charles only swallowed, nodding. He took the stemless bloom in his free hand.

To his pleasant surprise… he _did_ feel calmer.

Like he could breathe again.

They followed Orwell into the building with the eye window.

* * *

Jacquelyn ran quickly through the woods.

_This would be easier if I could just-_

The air began to get thicker with the darkness.

_Damn it all-_

She breathed deeply, placing one foot before the other, then becoming lighter on her feet...

* * *

The group had entered the building, climbing up the steps from the waiting room to the room with the eye window, which held a lot of equipment. Charles had decided to sit by a nearby desk to try and gather himself, clutching the glittering rose gently.

“So,” Geogrina hummed, “Who are you lot, then?” She repeated.

Violet inhaled deeply,

“I am… Violet Baudelaire. That’s my brother, Klaus. And… these are our…”

“...fellow dream weavers! Lilac and Nick.” Klaus finished for his sister quickly.

Lilac clenched her jaw nervously. Nick mumbled a swear under his breath, irritated at the situation.

Georgina’s eyes became fierce, but her face remained… calm.

“... _Baudelaire?”_ She cooed.

“...Yes ma’am.” Violet replied slowly, “We need to help you and Charles get the hell out of here-”

“I knew you looked familiar.” Georgina hummed, “I knew your parents - they ruined this town.” She grinned.

“They didn’t.” Violet said calmly. Georgina glared at her,

“...What?”

“We were told not to listen to any lies - and our parents wouldn’t do that.” Klaus said,

“They… apparently did some other things, but… they wouldn’t burn down a town.”

Georgina began to fume, “They _did_ do some other things - Like ban me from using hypnotism and fire and from _ever seeing their children -_ well, the joke is _pleasantly_ on _them_ because I was on a roll with this fucking mill before those DEMONS showed up-”

“H-hypnotism?” Violet cried, “And, K-Klaus, what was that about them doing _other_ things-?”

“We’ll talk about it when we get back-” Klaus told her, “My dreams - I don’t know if they’re right or not-”

“She’s right, and you’re right, but now isn’t the time to talk about that-” Lilac spat. Nick sighed,

“Georgina, the past is in the past. Don’t let us pay for the sins of our parents-”

Georgina, “BULL _shit._ Your _parents_ rUINED MY _LIFE!”_

“Georgina, _please-!”_ Violet cried, “Don’t hold onto your anger - it’ll be your undoing!”

“I think it already _has_ undone her.” Nick said sarcastically.

Georgina pushed a button at the top of her cane, a sharp blade jutting out from the bottom, and she slammed it into the floorboards, causing Charles to jump,

 **“YOU KNOW** **_NOTHING.”_ **

Lilac slowly stepped forward, looking the woman dead in the eyes,

“I assure you,” She spoke softly, shakily,

“We know _everything._ ”

Violet swallowed, glancing at the girl carefully.

All eyes were on Georgina as she glared at them, her teeth bared and gritted, clutching her fists so tightly her knuckles white.

“We’re dream weavers,” Nick branched off his sister, “We don’t have a _choice_ but to know shit.”

“...And we _know_ if you don’t let us _help you,”_ Klaus said nervously, “You could _die.”_

Georgina turned her gaze to Klaus. The spectacled boy swallowed,

“ _Like all the others.”_

There was a sudden crash as the glass from behind them shattered, the eye window ceasing to exist.

* * *

“ **_CHILDREN - GET THE TWO MORTALS TO A SAFER PLACE - THE BEAST HAS DESTROYED THE MILL - KILL IT!_ ** _”_ Kira’s panicked screaming came.

The others whirled around to see a massive, horrifying beast crawling through the shattered remains of the window - 

The nightmare had taken the shape of a burnt, crippled spider - or what _looked_ to be a spider, at least…

It’s eight legs were various charred, bone-exposed human limbs. Its back abdomen was large, and covered in screaming, darkened, empty eyed faces. The front - what took place of the head - was a broken looking… what was left of him… Sir. His eyes were empty, sunken. His lower jaw was missing. His arms gone. His upper body was all that was left.

The nightmare stabbed its sharp-clawed limbs into the inside of the building, the screams piercing the air. Charles shrieked, rushing to hide under the desk.

Georgina’s anger quickly turned to agonizing fear as she fell backwards, scrambling. She had turn completely pale, her eyes wide, shaking-

Lilac, Violet, Nick, and Klaus readied themselves as Kira and Lunari lept through the window, landing at their side - 

“ _Stow your fears!”_ Violet shouted, as the room around them turned pitch black, “ _Within dreams, this soul will be freed!”_

* * *

The massive nightmare’s screeching became louder for a moment as a dark sludge was launched from Sir’s gaping mouth. Klaus formed a large icy shield, blocking it. Lilac and Violet jumped up and over the shield, Lilac summoning a plethora of sparkling hummingbirds, Violet landing downwards, slamming her staff into the floorboards. A large bed of flowers sprang up, quickly making their way to the nightmare.

The hummingbirds quickly flew through the beast, dealing some heavy blows to its limbs. The flowers settled around the nightmare as it screeched, falling forwards, vines springing up from the blooms, entrapping it’s abdomen.

Nick stepped coolly over, summoning a few more books, and throwing a single splayed hand out - 

There was some rumbling,

Then several large, sharp, thin, glittering crystals shot up through the floorboards, growing from the grounds below, stabbing the nightmare in several places, holding it in place.

The beast let out another loud scream, clutching at the glowing, blue crystals, the many faces on the abdomen trying to chew at Violet’s vines.

Georgina watched in stupefied shock as this all happened.

 _They’re trying to save me?_ Was only _one_ of the _many_ thoughts that currently buzzed through her head.

Kira sighed in relief, seeing as how they had the beast under control, she turned to Lunari,

“ _Make sure those two don’t get hurt, Nari!”_ The elven woman shouted over the shrill noise. Lunari nodded quickly, dashing over to Charles’s side first.

She quickly clutched his shoulder, placing a single, glowing finger to his forehead, causing him to slowly fade into a sleep-like state.

As this happened, Klaus summoned a few of his own books, then preparing to create another large spear of ice to launch at the nightmare, ending its reign of terror - 

Until - 

A dark wave of shadows washed up and over the nightmare, causing the children to cover their faces, quickly stepping backwards.

The air went from an uncomfortable chill… to a _deathly ill_ cold.

As the billowing shadows began to settle at their feet, a tall, sickly looking figure stood between the nightmare and them…

“... _Oh God…”_ Violet whispered in fear.

There was a sharp pang of pain in each of the children’s chests.


	13. One Step in Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the darkness of The Shadows ever loom, the light spreads its blessed influence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.  
> -Dragons are from my lair on Flight Rising! (https://www1.flightrising.com/lair/121070)

The six dream weavers, sleeping Charles, and equally terrified and confused Georgina stared at a being that a few of them once knew…

...Now transformed into something… horribly wrong…

 _“H̝͇͜e̪̙̠l͇͙͎l̦̞͜o̺̞̦,̢͚̪ h̡̡͚e͚͙͍l̢̠͕l̢̞͜o͉͔̝,̞̫͖ h̺͓͕e̢͔̠l͉̙l̪̙͇o̪͚.̡̫͍.̼͍̺!͎͚͕”_ The wickedness from his voice spilled out like venom, threatening to take them and twist them and torture them.

“...O-Olaf…” Violet whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes. Klaus stepped backward, his cheek beginning to burn for some reason-

Lilac and Nick stood tall,

“So this is what you’ve become.” Lilac spoke, “A shadow of yourself.”

Nick grumbled, “ _Why_ am I _not surprised.”_

Olaf’s empty eyes seemed to only gaze deeply into Violet’s, and she felt a desperate cry escape from her mouth. His laughter left his decayed mouth like a hiss,

 _“Y͖̪͔o̢͇̟u͔̙̝ t̟͎͉h̢͎̠o͇̼̫u̢̪g̫͔͕h̺̘t̘͙͉ y̘̙̺o͉̙̝u̙͚͚ c͎͉͇o͍̠̝u̡͉͔l̦̺͜d̪͔͔ e͔͕͇s͚̼͙c̡͇̦a̢͇̝p̟͕̪e̝͙͜!̟͎̙”_ Olaf’s mouth moved, the words not matching any of the movements, _“L̡͍͜i͇̺̝t̠͎͓t̼͖͔l̢̪͚e̟͉̦ d͇͙r͔̪e͖͔̪a͔̞m͍͍͜ w̡͖͖e͙̪͜a̼͕v̝͎͉i̡̦̙n͉̪g̘̻̺ p͎͓̠e̡͍t̢͖̪!͉͔͚”_

Violet grit her teeth, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Lilac’s eyes began to glow heavily.

 **“** ** _L-LEAVE ME A-A-ALONE-!”_** Violet screeched, frozen. The top of her staff sparked. The vines around the nightmare began to fade. Olaf grinned.

Lilac began to slowly step forward, her eyes gleaming a bright purple, almost burning-

Kira began to act quickly, but then - 

A large, glittering burgundy phoenix rose up at the top of the shadowed window, shining a bright light over all. Violet and Lilac snapped out of their states, and Klaus stared wide eyed at the bird.

Nick squinted through the light, trying to keep his focus on his crystals.

Kira and Lunari turned back to see the bright phoenix as it swooped downward,

Through the nightmare,

And through Olaf.

The nightmare let out an ear-piercing scream, then vanishing into a bright bubble of light and glitter.

Olaf doubled over, clutching at his chest, coughing up a black liquid, staring up at the brightly glowing phoenix as it fluttered upward, and then disappeared into a flash of light.

He stared at the Baudelaires, all four, and his voice came out like a hoarse whisper in the darkness,

 _“T̡͙͔h͚̘̞i̢͔͎s͓͓͖ i̡̞s̢͍̘n̞͙'̢͙t͕̟ o̙͙v͉̼͜e̞͔͓r̘͕̘.̻͕͍”_ The crippled man said as weak shadows overtook him,

_“T͍̘̼h͇͓i̫͓s̡͕̝ i̠͔͉ș̟̪ o͔͉͜n͇̝̫l͉͓y̘̝͎ t̪̫h͔̘͜e͎̼ b̪͉͍e̞͕̦g̠̟i͚̞̞n͓͍̞n̟̼̫i̝̙̞n̫̫̪g͓̟̟.̪͕͎”_

With that, the shadows consumed him,

And the nightmarish man disappeared.

Violet and Klaus stood shakily. Violet then collapsed onto her hands and knees, grasping her staff tightly, heaving.

Lilac and Nick stared at each other with heavy looks.

“...What… was that…” Georgina whispered, her voice shaking.

* * *

Lunari summoned a soft cloud to set Charles on, and Kira helped Georgina up - she was still in a shaken state. Her eyes were wide, her face frozen, her body shaking in fear and realization.

Lilac and Nick helped Violet up, Klaus staring at the shattered, empty window.

_What was that phoenix?_

_Where did it come from?_

_Olaf… he’s…_

These thoughts were the same as the others.

Lunari, once again, performed the portal spell,

And they left.

* * *

Jacquelyn stood in the wreckage of the destroyed mill, breathing heavily.

_What…_

_Was…?_

_And the others..?_

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She swallowed. The rising sun glittered through the cracked and splintered wood. She felt tired.

Thankfully she hadn’t used all that energy for nothing.

She was just happy Georgina was somewhere far from here. Like the others.

...She needed to get out of here.

* * *

The next day, the four met at the gazebo again, Violet looking tired. The inventor was so worried about Olaf that she'd forgotten about what Klaus had said about... what their parents had done. Really, Klaus had forgotten as well. He was restless that night. And for good reason,

“Olaf’s been taken by The Shadows.” The bookworm whispered.

“No shit.” Nick mumbled.

Lilac clutched her head, leaning over in her seat,

“The Shadows… they’re smarter this time, they know- they-”

Klaus looked at her, and Nick gripped his sister’s shoulder,

“As long as we don’t-”

“I _know,_ Nick.” Lilac looked up at him suddenly, “But this time, the stakes seem to be so much _higher-”_

“I’m guessing in your world… this didn’t happen.” Violet asked, looking up at them without moving her head.

“...Yeah.” Lilac answered simply.

“That phoenix - are we not going to talk about that? The red one?” Klaus said suddenly, “Where did it come from - who could it have been?”

“It was _burgundy_ for one thing,” Nick said sassily, “And that kind of thing can only come from another dream weaver - Lilac can do the same, but her’s is more of a purple…”

“They still helped us.” Violet whispered, “We need to find them.”

“ _How?”_ Nick asked, “What if they don’t _want_ to be found?”

“It doesn’t matter if they don’t want to be found-” Lilac snapped, “Kira and Lunari are going to want to find them, and they’re high-ranking dream weavers. They’ll find them.”

“...I see.” Violet felt some semblance of happiness again.

They sat there in silence for a while. The soft wind rustling the wind chimes that hung on the gazebo, through the pink and purple pastel-leaved trees, whipping through their hair.

Violet looked up at them,

“...We should go see how the others are doing.” Violet said, “At the healing hall in Lumiette.”

Nick shrugged, “Probably might be a good idea.” He got up, “You _did_ tell us that Aunt Jo’s leg got torn off, right?”

Klaus shivered. Violet cornered her eyes,

_“Duh.”_

Nick snickered at his mirror sister's nonchalant reply.

Lilac stood up as well,

“Then let’s be off.”

* * *

“...Do you think our dragons will show up if we summon them?” Nick asked, looking at his sister.

Violet and Klaus proceeded to summon their own not far off, Salaria and Cristel flapping downward soon after.

Lilac rolled her eyes, “I doubt it - _Nick-”_ She began, then seeing the boy hold is hand straight up to the skies, the full moon mark glowing brightly on the back of his hand, a brilliant blue.

He stood like that for a moment. Lilac rolled her eyes.

“Do it.”

_“Huh?”_

“Do it.”

Lilac huffed, then doing the same, the full moon mark on the back of her hand glowing a bright purple.

They stood there for a moment, starting to feel a little sad inside.

Klaus looked back at them, gazing at them in confusion.

Then, in a flash of brilliant light, two dragons descended down from the cloudy, glittering, pastel sky, weaving around each other. A crystal-like blue one leaped and bound through the air, while a glittering, dark dragoness flapped gracefully along the winds.

Salaria and Cristel lifted their great heads upwards. Violet and Klaus stared in wide-eyed wonder.

The two landed with a great _thump_ before their riders, the air around them rushing past quickly, the grasses and small wild flowers nearly flattening from the great force.

Lilac and Nick smiled as wide as their faces could take, going to hug the dragons tightly.

_“Midnight! Eszti!”_ Nick cried happily, “We thought you wouldn’t be able to come!”

“Through time and space, beyond worlds known and unknown,” MidnightMoon began, her voice gentle.

“No matter the space between, we will always be here for you, young masters.” Eszti finished in his gruff voice.

Salaria and Cristel made their way to the new dragons, Violet and Klaus following. The pastel dragons bowed deeply to the other dragons, who bowed just as deeply in return.

“It is pleasant to meet the dragons of our dear friends.” Salaria said in her airy voice. Cristel nodded, “Any friend of our young masters is a friend of ours” He finished. MidnightMoon smiled, “Your young masters have much to learn - we sense this.” She spoke, “Though they will learn quickly. We know of this.”

“We know this quite well. Just as we knew of _our_ young masters.” Eszti said.

The children giggled at them, Salaria placing a gentle paw onto Violet’s head.

* * *

The four Baudelaires took off on their dragons. Salaria, MidnightMoon, and Cristel flying swiftly on their wings, and Eszti galloping on the air gracefully alongside.

The children laughed and yelled as they happily soared over the clouds and through flocks of dreamy fowl, the fear and confusion they felt melting away.

The sparkling city of Lumiette came into view once again, the dreamscape’s enormous Tree of Infinity standing tall and proud. A few soft, graying rain clouds had gathered over the city, providing a calming, rainy mood.

They landed at the perches, and the children bowed to their dragons, saying they would return soon. Each of them summoned an umbrella as they climbed down the steps into the city, splashing through the puddles. Violet announced that she was hungry, so they went to the market area where the plethora of food stalls were. Nick saw a takoyaki stall, and dragged Klaus over to it, causing Lilac and Violet to giggle and follow after them.

The children found Larry. He was working at a bakery near the ramen stall that Arisa and the original Baudelaires had gone to. The man said he’d found a nice apartment and managed to settle in nicely. The children were happy to see him happy, and he gave them some free macarons as a small thank you.

They spent a couple more hours wandering around the city, snacking and poking around the shops, giggling and joking,

Being teens.

Eventually they made their way to the city’s hospital, the large spires of Lumiette’s healing hall.

“Is it… just called the healing hall?” Klaus asked Violet. She shrugged,

“I suppose. Healing magic is one of the many things dream weavers can do - though only a select few can do it as well as, say, Lunari can.”

“She’s right.” Nick said as they entered the large, enchanting building, “Don’t be surprised if you meet someone else around our age that can do such things, though.”

Lilac blushed as Nick gave his sister a knowing glance. Violet and Klaus only blinked at them.

They headed to the front desk, and they were greeted warmly with an air of importance,

_“Ah, Lady Arisa’s students!”_

They received a copied list of the names and rooms of those who they had saved so far, and began to make their visits.

* * *

Gustav had been at Monty’s side ever since they’d arrived days ago. The herpetologist was recovering quite well, and he was talking about becoming a dragonologist. He’d find a place for he and Gustav in the Valley of Dragons to stay. Inky lay peacefully around Monty’s head on the pillow.

“I’d love to meet your dragons soon, bambini!” The man spoke excitedly, “I’ve started to read about dragons - _remarkable_ creatures, they are!” He gestured to the pile of books on the couch Gustav sat on, who was also deep in a book himself.

Violet giggled, nodding.

“Well, they _are_ the source of all magic, apparently.” Klaus replied, smiling gently.

They then visited Josephine. She was doing well, but was quite upset about her missing leg. She was ecstatic to see them, however. The woman proceeded to tell them how she was going to fierce and formidable once again, wanting to become a dream weaver herself.

“In fact, children,” Josephine rattled on, “They’ve already been prepping me for a special, magical leg! Made of magic! Can you _believe_ that? Incredible!”

Lilac and Nick cornered their eyes. Violet and Klaus laughed happily.

They then went to Charles, who was apparently nearly corrupted by The Shadows. He looked better, however, thankfully.

However, he couldn’t speak.

The event had shaken the gentle man to his very core. He only made small noises in reply, and occasionally wrote on a small whiteboard.

“...We’re so sorry…” Violet whispered at the man’s bedside. Charles only shook his head, placing a reassuring hand on the girl’s arm. His eyes spoke the words he needn’t say.

Violet smiled gently. Klaus sighed.

“ _I’ll be fine.”_ His eyes seemed to say, “ _I’ll recover.”_

Finally… they went to Georgina, who lay on her side in her bed, curled up in a ball, a bundle of confusion, her back to them.

The children walked into the dim room, the rain gently hitting the window. The sheer, white curtains cast a gentle glow along with the pink crystals.

The air was calm… but sorrowful.

“...Miss Orwell?” Violet called softly as Klaus slowly closed the heavy door behind them. Their steps echoed on the tile of the room.

Georgina didn’t move. She didn’t make a sound.

Violet stepped a little closer to the woman’s bed,

“...I’m… sorry….”

“It’s not your fault.” Georgina spoke suddenly, her voice hoarse. Nick blinked in surprise. Lilac gave a sigh of relief.

“...Are you alright..?” Klaus asked.

Georgina hummed in reply, but didn’t move.

There was some silence. Violet and Klaus gave each other a look, not exactly knowing what to say next.

“I’m just. Surprised, I suppose.” Georgina spoke suddenly, breaking the whitenoise of the rain,

“Your parents, like the rest of us, were tricked into thinking a lot of things.” She spoke, “Like hypnotism. Moths to a flame.” Her voice cracked.

Violet opened her mouth slightly, trying to get words out, but slowly closed it again. She slowly made her way to the woman’s bedside. The others followed cautiously.

“...I didn’t expect their children to come and save me.” She croaked. She sounded as if she was crying,

“...I didn’t expect anyone to save me, really.”

Violet swallowed the lump in her throat, making her way around to the woman’s frontside.

They saw her side rise and fall as she breathed in deeply,

“I suppose we all fall into the wrong path one way or another.” She whispered, “Either by being young and innocent… or old and ignorant.”

“...Well said.” Klaus spoke.

Violet eventually came to see Georgina’s tired face, stained with tears and eyes sunken with years of pain. Her glasses sat on the side table.

Violet reached out to the woman, putting a soft hand on her arm. She looked up at the girl.

“...Things will be… better.” Violet said softly. Georgina blinked tiredly. The woman then gave a great sigh,

“...I hope so, child.” She muttered sadly, “I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case of confusion:  
> 1st dragon shown is MidnightMoon, Lilac's dragon, and the second one (the crystal/icy blue one) is Eszti, Nick's dragon!


	14. MAYDAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Quagmire Manor.
> 
> Or... what's left of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

A new day had dawned, and the Baudelaires, Kira, and Lunari met at the gazebo.

“ _O.K.!_ Where to next, gaymers?” Violet asked as she plopped down between Nick and Klaus.

Kira gave a tired sigh from her seat, looking at her communicator orb,

“We’ll be saving a plethora of people, actually,” She spoke, scrolling through the list of names,

“A family, a girl, and a woman.”

Lilac and Nick gave each other a knowing look.

“...A whole family?” Violet asked.

“A family of five,” Kira answered, Lunari nodding, “A mother, father, and triplets.”

“ _And_ another girl and a woman?” Klaus said, surprised.

Lunari nodded, “The y-young girl, her name is C-Carmelita. Her p-parents are objectively t-terrible people…”

Kira nodded, “Which means they’re all but a _tasty_ _meal_ for The Shadows.”

Lilac sighed.

“...Ah.” Violet swallowed, “So she’ll be an orphan, too…”

“As it goes.” Kira said, “A dear friend of mine has agreed to take her in. She’ll see to us when we arrive with Carmelita.”

“H-her name is R-Rosette! She’s a u-unicorn f-faun!” Lunari brightened, “She u-uses glamour spells to design c-clothing, and is also an a-avid d-dancer - Arisa agreed Carmelita would be h-happy with h-her.”

“Hm.” Nick said, “Definitely sounds like a person for Carm.”

Klaus eyeballed him, “You… guys know her?”

“From our realm, yes. From yours… no.” Lilac replied, “She’s a piece of work, but she’ll get better.”

Violet grumbled. _Fun, fun._

“What about the family?” Klaus asked.

Kira hummed, “They and their parents will be placed in a pleasant little place nearby the cottage.”

“...So they’re not orphans?” Violet said, sounding a little dreary.

“Evidently not.” Kira replied.

Violet looked slowly down at her lap, then sighing.

Lilac hummed curiously. Kira then cleared her throat, continuing on,

“They are called the Quagmires. Frederick and Melanie are the parents, while Duncan, Isadora, and Quigley are the children.”

“Duncan?” Klaus asked.

“Isadora? Quigley?” Violet wondered.

“Yes. We shall be visiting their home first.” Kira didn’t look up from the list,

“The woman is named Olivia - she is the librarian at the same school that Carmelita is currently going to.”

“P-Prufrock P-Prep.” Lunari nodded, “It’s a d-dismal little p-place, really.”

“What about the other kids?” Violet asked.

“Within a failed timeline, the other souls that aren’t connected to a dream weaver’s fate are…” Kira breathed, “Unfortunately lost to time.”

Nick rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat.

“Such is the way of the dream weaver.” Lilac spoke, “You can’t save everybody.”

“Sucks.” Violet crossed her arms.

“That is… _one_ way to say it.” Kira replied, “Back to the task at hand - we’ll be moving on to Prufrock after we get the Quagmires settled in - hopefully they won’t be receiving any injuries.”

“Knock o-on w-wood.” Lunari piped up.

Nick then rapped on Violet’s staff. She squinted at him.

“What? S’made of wood, really.” The researcher smiled mockingly. The inventor slapped him in the arm.

Kira then exhaled heavily, standing up, “Well then, we will see you in a while to set off for our next mission.”

The children nodded before Lunari waved, following Kira out.

* * *

“Klaus.” Violet said as she followed her brother into Arisa’s library tower, “You said something about our parents. That they did something.”

Klaus swallowed, nearly freezing in place. He turned to her,

“W-well, yes…”

“What was it?” Violet asked, “And don’t lie to me. I can just look in your books.”

Klaus exhaled through his nose in irritation, “...You’ll need to sit down for this one.”

“Huh?” Violet asked, going to sit in one of the cushioned arm chairs by the desks surrounding the large globe, “Wh-why?”

Klaus breathed in deeply,

“As teenagers, our parents were basically just… brainwashed by VFD, right?”

“...Yeah.” Violet responded with an air of worry.

Klaus swallowed,

“They were told to kill Olaf’s parents. A woman named Kit Snicket helped them - she was their age - just as brainwashed, really.”

Violet’s eyes widened. She stayed silent.

“...They were told that it was the right thing to do. And… being brainwashed… like they were…” Klaus went on.

“...They went through with it…” Violet whispered. Her brother only nodded.

“Fuck.” She said leaning back in the chair with force, “I can see why Olaf went batshit but-” Sher furrowed her brows in anger, “That’s no excuse to become a _dirty pervert_ and a _murderer!”_

“They learned how fucked up it was, and tried to leave VFD, but,” Klaus sighed,

“Clearly, that didn’t work.”

“...And now they’re… _dead.”_ Violet choked out.

There were some footsteps that echoed on the tiled floor,

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Lilac spoke. Violet looked up as Klaus turned to face her.

“Wh-?” Klaus felt a mixture of hope and confusion.

“Your timeline is different than what our’s was, that’s for sure.” Nick said, sliding in, “All we’re sayin’ is that there’s a possibility that they’re alive.”

“Did-” klaus swallowed, feeling some hope and excitement and also sorrow, “I- did- how many people died in your timeline?”

“Remember that we ca-” Lilac began.

“-Right, right, you can’t tell us because of some weird magical thing, I’m sure.” Violet rolled her eyes.

“God, I _wish_ we could _tell_ you, I _really_ do, but-” Lilac said, her face looking desperate.

“Try.” Violet said, getting up.

Nick squinted at her for a second, “What?”

The inventor slowly stepped over to her brother’s side,

“Prove it.” She stated simply, “ _Try._ Right now.”

Lilac gulped, glancing at Nick. The researcher grumbled,

“Alright.”

“Who lived and who died in your timeline?” Violet asked them.

Lilac swallowed, then opened her mouth. It didn’t move.

Not even a sound came out. She squeezed her eyes shut, clearly trying to say _something. Anything._

But there was nothing.

Violet blinked, “You’re fucking with us.”

“We wouldn’t lie to you, dip-of-shit.” Nick hissed, “I’d tell you everything right here and now if I could. But we fucking _can’t.”_

“Do you know why?” Klaus asked.

Lilac’s mouth snapped shut again, and she grit her teeth as if she was feeling pain. Nick looked at her,

“We’re assuming it’s some… _higher power_ kind of shit.”

Lilac rubbed the side of her jaw tenderly, “W-we assume it’s to protect you, or us - something like that? I don’t know.”

“Hm.” Klaus mumbled.

Violet huffed, “Well, if there’s one good thing to come out of this… it’s that our parents are probably alive.”

“What about Arisa, then?” Klaus asked, “W-we… she’s basically our mom, now.”

“She’s also our mentor. She gifted us her magic. That doesn’t mean if our parents return, we only stay with her.” Violet said with an air of obviousness.

“So she’ll be, like, our _teacher,_ then?” Klaus asked.

“Basically.” Nick replied, “Technically she already is.”

“Good enough for me.” Violet shrugged, “Let’s get ready to go get that family. Quigley sounds cute as _hell.”_ She said, her eyes sparkling.

“...You only know his _name_ , fuckface.” Nick gave her a look. She scoffed,

“A rose by a gorgeous name is surely to be beautiful. Like the Queen Rose.”

“That’s… not how the saying goes at all.” Lilac lifted an accusatory finger. Nick looked at Violet tiredly, “How the _fuck_ does ‘ _Quigley’_ sound _cute_ to you?”

The inventor stuck her tongue out at the two of them, and Klaus snorted.

* * *

Kira and Lunari exited Arisa’s cottage after giving her a progress report. The bunny woman was very worried, but the elf and the draconic lyn told her not to worry - the children were gifted. They would pull through, as a dream weaver always does.

_Optimism at its finest._

The women met the Baudelaires outside the library tower, and they set off once again.

Upon their arrival, the air _immediately_ felt sickly. The dream weavers stood before a very large mansion - it was just as large as the Baudelaire’s once was.

“So, these parents are in VFD, too.” Violet said, gazing up at the dark sky. It was _supposed_ to be around midday, but the sky was nearly pitch black. And disturbingly empty.

Like an infinite void.

“Hm, yes.” Klaus answered, “We need to hurry. We can’t lose anyone else.”

Nick hummed, “Not that we can control fate or anything.”

Klaus gave him a look as they began to make their way up to the front doors.

* * *

Jacquelyn made her way to the Quagmire mansion - she _knew_ where they would strike next. It was almost like an instinct, now. She could feel their evil.

 _Perhaps I should introduce myself to the others._ Jacquelyn thought. She’d seen them at the mill. She was still shaken from being nearly too late in saving them.

But somehow… she managed it.

Like she always did.

As she slid through the gate of the Quagmire estate, she saw a glittering glow from not far off...

* * *

Kira’s lantern glowed faintly as she rose it upwards. Lunari slowly pushed open the doors, peering inside of the dark, wickedly quiet mansion - but the door to her left then fell slowly to the tile floor with a loud _crash!_

Violet gasped, Lunari jumping backward. Klaus grabbed onto Lilac, who grit her teeth in worry. Nick squinted into the darkness.

The inside was already a mess.

Violet swallowed. This was never a good sign.

...Nothing seemed to have heard the noise, so they continued on, much to Klaus’s dismay.

Their footsteps echoed wherever the tile wasn’t covered in debris. There was a massive hole in the ceiling - clearly a nightmare had _let itself in._ Kira swung her lantern around -

\- And stopped suddenly, it glowing brightly over the fallen body of a young girl under some wreckage.

Lunari gasped, then ran to the body, using magic to quickly move the debris.

“...Th-this must b-be Isadora…” The draconic lyn said as she knelt down to the unconscious girl. She was covered in bloody scratches, a gash here or there. Knocked out cold.

“...She must have been nearby when the nightmare broke in through the ceiling…” Kira said, “Lunari, start healing her. We need to find the rest of them.”

Lilac looked at Isadora, who’s breathing was shallow.

_At least… she’s alive._

_...Somehow…_

Kira and the Baudelaires then continued to follow the light of the elven woman’s lantern, turning down a few halls. The air was thick with evil. It felt… creepy. Whispers occasionally filled the air, and sometimes Klaus felt like he saw things out of the corner of his eye,

“This is like a damn horror movie…” The bookworm whispered shakily, clinging to Lilac. Nick snickered, “That’s a good way to put it.”

“D-do you think Olaf is here..?” Violet asked quietly.

“Let’s hope not.” Kira muttered, “I don’t think we could handle that amount of power with what we have now-”

“ _Are you saying that Shadow Loaf is powerful, now?”_ Nick hissed at the pale woman. She sighed, “The Shadows are wicked things. Their power increases if they consume a wicked soul.”

“...Makes sense.” Klaus whispered. Lilac felt Violet now grip onto her as well, though her grip was tighter than Klaus’s by far. The mechanic looked down at her mirror self,

“... _Stow your fears,_ sweetie.” She said softly, looking at the anxious girl.

Violet only swallowed hard, nodding at her. The inventor partly relaxed her grip.

They walked for a few more minutes, turning this way and that, perhaps climbing some stairs. Kira kept an eye out for the lantern to suddenly go out and start spilling out weighted smoke, but thankfully, it didn’t.

However, this meant _it_ may have found Lunari and Isadora.

They tried to keep this worry in the back of their mind. For now.

They had to keep trekking onward.

* * *

Lunari summoned another bundle of wrapping and bandages, beginning to wrap another part of Isadora’s arm. The draconic lyn had already rubbed the healing aloe on the girl’s wounds, and they began to seal, the bleeding stopping.

Lunari placed a glowing hand onto the girl’s head and closed her eyes, feeling if there was any serious internal damage.

 _Just a small concussion._ Lunari sighed thankfully, and her hand glimmered even brighter, beginning to heal that as well.

“...Is she going to be alright?”

A stern, but worried woman’s voice came from behind the draconic lyn, causing her to jump and turn,

“...Sh-she’ll be o-ok - _you…”_ She began, staring at the glittering woman, “ _You’re th-the dream w-weaver that h-helped u-us back at the m-mill…”_

The woman was dressed in flowing burgundy, white, and gold. She nodded,

“Count Olaf is a vile man - I know this very well. Now that The Shadows have taken him… this will only worsen your missions.”

Lunari whimpered, “I thought s-so…”

“...My Phoenix has the ability to track down nightmares.” The woman continued, then snapping her fingers. The bright, glimmering burgundy phoenix appeared in a bubble of golden light, then landing on her arm,

“We need to find Frederick and Melanie. I would _prefer_ not to lose any more close friends.”

Lunari blinked at her,

“ _You kn-knew them..?”_

“I’m native to this world, and this timeline.”

“...H-how did you b-become a d-dream weaver, then?” Lunari asked.

The woman gazed up at her phoenix, who tittered at her. She sighed,

“Another dream weaver came here _many_ years ago, claiming she could save this timeline from being devoured by The Shadows. She knew that… that this was impossible… but…” She sighed.

Lunari arched her brows in worry, “...She still… t-tried…”

_Why did this sound familiar to her?_

The woman only nodded, then making her way over to Lunari and Isadora, the girl then began to stir at the warming glow of the phoenix.

“...I’m happy she’s safe.” The woman said as she knelt down by the girl’s side. Isadora’s eyes opened slowly, blinking in the bright blue and burgundy glow of the two dream weaving women, “Who…?”

“Isadora? Are you alright?” The woman asked. Lunari helped the girl sit up, and she looked around in shock and confusion,

“M-my brothers! _My parents-!”_ She suddenly gasped, beginning to shudder, the weight of the situation coming back to her,

“You- you’re angels, right? _Please, please help us-!”_

Lunari hushed her sweetly, holding her close, “Don’t w-worry, child. We’ve a-already sent out th-the others to find th-them. I am Lunari. T-this is…”

The glittering woman looked away.

“...We’ll save that for later, I suppose?”

The poet clung to the draconic lyn in fear, shivering. The woman dawned in burgundy stood up, looking about the destroyed foyer,

“We need to start moving.” She said. Lunari only sighed, picking the girl up as she too stood up,

“R-right…”

* * *

Duncan and Quigley were shivering together in despair and fear at the corner of their father’s study, hiding behind a large armchair and side table. They’d seen hell. It was in the form of a giant, horrifying beetle with… a human mouth. Rows and rows of fanged teeth. It had three bloodshot eyes staring down at them. Its legs were human - burnt flesh and bone. The back of it… looked like gemstones. The blue ones.

 _Their_ gemstones.

But… dirtier? Like… not the shining, glimmering ones their parents had told them about.

_Their parents._

Oh, fuck, _their parents-_

The boys heard the door creak open, and Duncan squeezed his eyes shut, crying harder. Quigley braved it, and peeked through a space - 

A group of glowing, glittering… people? Had entered the room. They were looking for something.

Or someone?

Quigley swallowed, nudging Duncan,

“Do you believe in magic?” He whispered.

“ _YesIDoNOWBecauseOfThatTHING-”_ Duncan hissed, shivering, terrified. Quigley held onto his brother, then slowly standing the both of them up,

“Well, great, because I think the good guys are here to save us.”

Duncan opened his eyes, and he stopped altogether, staring.

“And one of them is… _really cute…”_ Quigley said, looking at the glimmering girl holding onto a staff. Duncan swallowed, nodding, “Y-yeah…” He whispered, staring at a boy in glasses.

“There-!” The boy with glasses said.

* * *

Kira let out a heavy sigh of relief as the Baudelaires all ran towards the Quagmire boys, who climbed out of their hiding spot.

On instinct, almost as if it felt right to, they all hugged each other.

“Thank the Grand Creator you’re _safe!”_ Violet cried.

“And no, we’re not angels, but I guess that’s close enough.” Nick said mockingly.

The children broke their hug, and Quigley stared at Violet, taking in her glittering form, “I’m Quigley Quagmire, and _I_ must be the angel, because sweetheart, _I’ve fallen for you.”_

Duncan groaned. Nick began to bust out laughing.

Violet’s face suddenly flushed a bright pink, and she opened her mouth slightly,

“ _Ah..!”_ Was all the blushing girl could say. Quigley smirked at her, his eyes sparkling.

“ _THAT WAS SO FUCKING CHEESEY, DUDE. I-”_ Nick hollered as he doubled over.

Duncan cleared his throat. He glared at his brother, then looked at Klaus,

“Y-you’re really cute.” He stuttered out, blushing. Lilac raised her eyebrows at the spectacled boy beside her.

Klaus’s eyes widened, “Y-you- I-! Thank. Y-you?” The bookworm babbled, bright red. Nick stopped laughing, staring between the two, a little shocked, and a little confused.

Lilac hummed, “Pleased as punch. I am Lilac Baudelaire. This is Nick, my brother, and that is Violet and Klaus. This is Kira.”

“I-I’m Duncan!” The journalist said. Quigley snorted.

Kira gave a long sigh, then looked at the Quagmire boys, who ogled over their potential significant others,

“I don’t mean to pull from this sweet little greeting, but,” She interrupted, “Where are your parents?”

The brothers froze, then looked up at Kira. Duncan sealed his mouth shut. Quigley glanced at him,

“...They were. Trying to fight off that _monster_ … and…”

Kira’s face turned even whiter than normal. She felt her blood run cold.

“It took them! _It took them away!_ ” Duncan cried out, “A bunch of dark smoke came and they _disappeared! They screamed at us to run and hide!”_

“We couldn’t find Isadora, so we’ve just… assumed sh-she’s-” Quigley began, shaking.

“She’s alive. Lunari found her.” Violet said quickly, “She was injured, but Lunari is an amazing healer - she’ll be fine!”

“A little shaken, but fine.” Nick replied, “Which reminds me - we need to find those two. Now.”

The brothers then babbled words of relief and thanks. Kira nodded,

“Dream weavers can sense other dream weavers - we shall find them that way. Come.”

"Should we check on them with the communication orbs? Or..?" Violet asked, ready to summon hers. Kira shook her head quickly, "It might compromise their position. We can't have Lunari trying to fight a nightmare beast by herself while trying to heal the poor girl."

"A-ah. Right. Of course." Violet said shakily.

"We need to move." Nick snipped. Kira hummed in agreement.

* * *

The woman bathed in burgundy, white, and gold, with her glittering phoenix, lead Lunari, who still carried a shivering Isadora in her arms, down a long corridor.

“This leads to the library.” Isadora said meekly, “I saw mother and father get dragged off by that monster in some shadows-!”

“Then the monster - and hopefully F and M - are in the library with the beast-” The woman stopped short, swearing at herself for a second.

_I need to break that habit. Just call them by their names. Not initials. You’re… you aren’t a part of that blasted organization._

_You’ll be able to leave, soon._

_Leave it all behind._

_Help the others, too._

Lunari gave her a worried look.

“I’m fine. We’ll need to wait somewhere for the others-” The woman said quickly.

“There’s a closet. Nearby. We could hide there. Until the others come.” Isadora whispered. Lunari nodded down at her. The woman hummed, “Good.”

* * *

“Do you think that thing... _killed_ our parents?” Quigley asked as they made their way down the hallways. Kira sighed,

“One hopes not.”

“Just try to be… just try to have hope.” Nick corrected himself. Klaus glanced at him.

“...Right.” Duncan replied. Quigley made a worried noise. Violet grabbed onto his hand, pulling him closer. Her wondrous aura made him feel… safer. His hand tightened around hers.

Kira kept an eye on her lantern as they moved, eventually making it to the foyer. The lantern still glittered brightly. No sign of the monster. 

Yet.

The Quagmire boys looked in dismay at the blood stains and the collapsed ceiling. Lilac reassured them that Isadora was safe with Lunari.

“I am… sensing a third dream weaver.” Kira said, her eyes growing wide.

“...I thought Lady Arisa only sent _us_..?” Lilac asked. Kira only nodded.

“...Perhaps there were some reinforcements..?” Klaus asked. The elven woman only hummed, confused herself.

They kept moving on, down more halls, trying to remain quiet,

Until Kira suddenly stopped in front of them, swinging her lantern to the right - A door with a faint glow coming from under the crack.

Lunari then opened the door, Isadora struggling to get up, then clinging to her brothers.

“ _Izzie-bop!”_ Duncan cried, “ _You’re ok-!”_

“‘Told you.” Nick smirked.

“Th-the beast, and the children’s p-parents, are within t-the l-library-” Lunari spoke quickly. The woman with the phoenix followed Lunari out, and the others gaped at her.

Kira stared at her,

“...You remind me of a friend I once knew.”

The woman blinked at her, “...You must have… known my dream weaving mentor.”

“...So that’s why you’re here.” Kira whispered. Lunari nodded, then going to explain what the woman had explained to her. Kira sighed. The children stood around, confused, looking between the three dream weavering women and each other.

“Tell me, my Lady, what is your name?” Kira asked.

But, before she could answer, Kira’s lantern began to billow black shadows, falling to the carpeted floor below. Lunari’s eyes grew in fear as the double doors to the library burst open, splintered wood flying every which way,

And there, in the pitch black darkness of the large library, gazing at the group with its bleeding, bloodshot eyes,

Was the nightmare,

And a very, very corrupted Olaf.


	15. La Lune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hard fought battle and some mysterious happenings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Violet and Lilac felt their blood run cold, and Klaus squeezed his eyes shut. Nick felt anger bubble up inside him - but he attempted to squelch it.

“...Who… _who is that?”_ Isadora choked out a whisper.

“ _WHAT’D YOU DO WITH OUR FUCKING PARENTS YOU BASTARD!?”_ Quigley screamed, _“_ **_WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY!?_ ** _”_

The burgundy woman grabbed onto his shoulder gently,

“Olaf.”

The vile, shadowed man cackled as the nightmare loomed over him,

“ _J͓̙̼a͖͇̺c͓̘̼q͔̙͇u̠̞̠e͍̻͓l͉͔͓y̢̪͜n̡̦͎!͇̦ D̡͔̝a̺̘̞r͓͚͚l͍̝̺i̦͉̦n̞̼͜g͔͇͓!͍͇”_ He said, raising his arms in psuedo-greeting, “ **_S̫͙̞o̘͕_ ** _g͖̼̦o͓̠͜o̞͜d̪̙̟ t͉̟̫o̢̫̘ s͚̘e͔͙̫e͎͍̪ y͕̻̪o͖͍͜u͙͉͓'͚͓̞v͙͙͎e͓̫̪ s͍̦͚t͔̞̝o͍̪͖p͎̫̞p͇̟̪e̟͙͜d̠̪ l̢̢y͍̦̦i͎͜n̺̼̻g͇̟͜ t̢̝͜o̡̫̞ y̡͇͕o̡̼͙u̦͙͎r͍̙͔s̝͚e̡̞͕l͔̻͔f̻͎͓.̞͎̞”_

“...Jacquelyn?” Klaus asked, looking up at the burgundy woman.

Jacquelyn’s phoenix screeched, then taking flight as the woman glared at Olaf,

“Destroy him.” She said to the others simply, “Don’t let him shake you. He’s been nothing but a _nuisance.”_

Olaf screeched with laughter, and the horrifying nightmare edged back into the library.

Kira grit her teeth, “LUNARI, YOU AND I NEED TO FIND THE QUAGMIRE PARENTS.” She shouted, “BAUDELAIRES, KEEP THE QUAGMIRES SAFE AT ALL COST.”

Lilac, Violet, and Klaus stared up at Jacquelyn as the Quagmires began to panic. The stern woman looked at them with her eyes glittering with fire,

“ _Don’t let him sway you. You’re_ **_dream weavers_ ** _.”_ She said boldly,

“ _You are the future. You are the hope._ **_This is your chance._ ** _”_

The Baudelaires looked at each other. Nick only nodded, summoning several books. Klaus breathed deeply, summoning his own books. Violet’s face turned determined. Lilac summoned her own, glittering purple phoenix.

“ **_Fight back._ ** _”_ Jacquelyn said as they all faced the terrors before them, Kira and Lunari dashing ahead of them.

* * *

The Baudelaires instantly unleashed a flurry of furious attacks as Kira and Lunari flew past Olaf, catching him off guard. Jacquelyn summoned a protective globe of magic around the Quagmires as she and Lilac’s phoenixes flew towards the bastard shadow, breathing heavy flames of their respective colors.

He screeched, batting them away, summoning shadowy arms from the ground to grab at the fantastical birds of light.

Violet summoned her globe, grabbed several flowers, waved her staff, and the blooms grew greatly in size, vines and petals covering the floor and walls, under Olaf’s feet, and into the library. Nick held out a hard hand, it glimmered as brightly as his eyes, and then snapped it shut into a tight fist, causing several large, sharp crystals to crash through the floor from the earth beneath, encasing Olaf within a gemstone prison.

The brilliant lights of these spells allowed the large library and wide hallway to brighten, letting Kira and Lunari see the area better.

The parents were nowhere to be found.

“ _SHIT!”_ Kira swore, gripping her lantern. Lunari cried out as the nightmare beast lunged toward them, then swinging her keystaff with one swift motion, cutting off one of its many limbs. It let out a sharp, guttural scream, causing Olaf to cover his ears in pain. He glared at them, his empty eyes suddenly gaining one, singular pupil in each - a glowing red.

He roared as Klaus ran past the crystals surrounding him, and began to summon ice to freeze the nightmare beast to the ground. Jacquelyn dashed through the Baudelaires, summoning a blade made of chilling flames - cold and hot all at once.

Olaf bore his several rows of sharp teeth, raising both of his arms. The shadowed arms around him became stronger, cracking the crystals around him, shattering them. Jacquelyn dodged the shards, flying past him with the blade, to which he dodged easily.

Nick swore, then summoned a dozen gem shards, Lilac a plethora of wasps. The two mirror Baudelaires threw them at the billowing, massive arms as they tore at the blooms and walls behind them. Violet choked on her breath slightly, then becoming light on her feet, dashing down the hall, and past Olaf -

She looked at his face as she passed him - his glare tore into her like a knife. She felt her eyes brim with tears.

_T u r n y o u r f e a r t o c o u r a g e_

The voice of the First Dreamers came again, strengthening her. She then stopped beside her brother, who nodded to her.

As this happened, Nick’s shards and Lilac’s wasps flew toward Olaf’s summoned arms, cutting through the air, slicing through the shadows like a meat cleaver to flesh. Jacquelyn had quickly moved out of the way, swearing, landing quickly near the Quagmires. The vile man before them screamed out in anger and pain as the arms faded, the shadows billowing around him and falling to the ground.

“ _N̙͔̺o͔̺͜t̺̫̠ t͖̠̙h̫̝i͍̟̘s̠̘̺ t̢͉̝i͔̘̞m̼͕̺e͓̻͔.͔̙”_ His voice was clouded by something evil, “ _Y̠͉̼o̺͖͙u̢̘̞'̢̝͕l̡͖̺l͍̟̙ n̢͕͍e͇̦͜v̪̞͚e̦͜r̡͇̼ f̡͔͙i̪̼͖n͍͕͜d͖͍̫ t̡̘͕h̼͓͓e͔̻͚m̢̠̦.͕̘͎”_

The Quagmires’ eyes grew wide in horror as he said this. Olaf then disappeared into a cloud of dark, eerie fog. Nick screamed, running towards him, creating a crystal blade on his arm, going to punch directly into the smoke,

But his hand passed through it. Too late.

Nick screamed out some swears, and Lilac ran over to him, grabbing onto his shoulders, reminding him.

Reminding him not to lose it.

Reminding him not to turn to stardust.

_Keep it in check._

The terrifying nightmare before them screamed again as Klaus jabbed three large icicles into its three massive eyes, puncturing them, black ooze spraying from it like blood. Violet summoned a large shield of glimmering magic to block the goop. Kira ran over to them-

She detached her lantern from her staff, and it floated above the nightmare, strings of light flying out, grabbing onto every limb of the nightmare. She quickly nodded to Violet and Klaus, and they swallowed.

They moved to either side of the nightmare, dashing around. Kira stood at the front of the beast, the end of her staff glowing with a spear made of light. Lunari hopped over the nightmare, landing at the back, whipping around, holding her keystaff at the ready.

With one, final, simultaneous blow,

Klaus’s icicle jabbed from the left,

Violet’s vine stabbed from the right,

Lunari’s keystaff plunged into the back,

And Kira’s spear was shoved into the mouth of the beast.

There was a rumbling from the ground, screaming from the beast, cries from the Quagmires,

And in a radiant, gleaming bubble of light…

The nightmare beast was no more.

They all collapsed in exhaustion, the darkness fading, the lowering sun showing brightly over them all in the wreckage.

The Quagmires began to sob.

* * *

Lunari healed each of the member’s sprained or pulled injuries, Kira calming the Quagmires gently, softly touching their faces, Duncan hiccuping. Klaus gently ran his fingers through the journalist’s hair.

Violet held onto Quigley, and he clung to her, careful not to bruise her arms. Isadora’s head was leaning on Lilac’s shoulder, who was staring at the floor. Nick was grumbling swears to himself, flipping through his books.

Jacquelyn sat down in front of the group,

“I’m… sorry.” She said weakly.

“It’s not your fault.” Isadora said, moving her eyes to look up at the auburn-haired woman.

“The Shadows took your parents.” Jacquelyn whispered, “I don’t know if-”

“There is a chance.” Kira said suddenly, “We can find them. We have the ability to.”

“Then we’ll find them.” Quigley said angrily. Violet looked at him closely,

“You can become dream weavers. You can help.”

Quigley looked into her eyes,

“ _Then that’s what we’ll do.”_

Duncan stared at his brother like he’d gone nuts, “Are you off your rocker, Quig?”

“Everything ABOUT this has been OFF THE ROCKER.” Quigley nearly shouted, straightening up toward Duncan. Violet held onto Quigley’s arm. He leaned back, calming down.

“The more the merrier.” Nick mumbled, not looking up from his pages.

“You could get killed!” Lilac cried out.

“It’s possible.” Kira only muttered. Jacquelyn groaned in worry.

“Is it fun?” Isadora asked. Duncan glared at her.

Lunari stood up, looking at the Quagmires,

“...I can… t-take you in..!” She said confidently. Kira looked up at her, blinking,

“Lunari, you - you’re willing to take in these children?”

The draconic lyn nodded gently, “I-I’ve… always w-wanted ch-children… of m-my own.” She said sweetly, looking at the triplets,

“We’ll f-find your p-parents, too. J-just y-you watch.”

Isadora gazed up at the lyn woman, her eyes glimmered. Duncan blinked in surprise, and Quigley began to grin as wide as his face could possibly let a teenaged boy grin.

Violet began to giggle at him, then grabbing onto his cheeks and pulling at them. The cartographer laughed at her, slapping at her arms, telling her to “Knock it off!”

Klaus smiled at Duncan, then hugging him tightly. Nick sighed,

“...I guess the more dream-power we’ve got… the better.” He began to smile, snapping a book shut. Lilac only chuckled,

“You’ll be fantastic dream weavers, just you wait.”

* * *

The group recovered from their battle, the moon rising slowly. Lunari performed the portal spell with her keystaff once again. The Quagmires gaped in awe at the magical door that appeared and opened before them. A door that led to an entirely different plane of existence.

A door to a new life.

The triplets followed Kira and the Baudelaires through the massive door.

Jacquelyn stood silent, staring at it. She swallowed.

Lunari looked at her,

“...Are y-you… are you c-coming, J-Jacquelyn?” She asked, looking at the graceful woman.

Jacquelyn’s glazed over eyes brightened as she looked from the door to the lyn woman,

“I’ve never been able to leave… before…” She only whispered.

Lunari smiled gently,

“Well. N-now you c-can.”

Jacquelyn felt as if a weight had been lifted from her.

No more keeping her secret. No more hiding. Or running. Or having to follow that vile organization’s rules and going on missions for them or fearing for her life every time she’d come across an old friend turned enemy.

“Right.” She finally said, smiling. Lunari giggled as they then ran through the door together, it slamming shut behind them, melting away into glitter.

A man stepped into the shimmering light of the remaining blooms and crystals, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Holding himself up on what was left of a wall with one arm, he slowly took off the hat that was concealing his eyes. He gazed around at the magical leftovers that then began to fade, melting into stardust, covering the torn carpet and crumbled tile, before fading away altogether.

He stood there in stupefaction - a word which here means he was stupefied, amazed, shocked, bewildered, and several other words that may mean this word as well.

“...They’re alive.” He only whispered, “And they’ve become something far greater than this world will _ever_ know of, or even _comprehend.”_

Another figure stepped out from his side, looking at the wreckage. She turned her head to him,

“I’m surprised, but also not.” The dark-haired woman said, “Bertrand might be, but I’m not, and that’s for certain.”

“...And why is that?” Asked the man, stepping over to her. She laughed, “Because - Jacquelyn isn’t as good at hiding things as she _thinks_ she is. Unlike us.”

The man hummed, “So you knew?”

“Of _course_ I knew.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“At risk of compromising her.” The beautiful woman replied to the stocky man, “Who knows what that damned organization would do if they found out such things were _real?”_

“Hm.” The man agreed, “You have a point, love. Though, if you knew, this means they may know.”

The dark-haired woman only sighed, “Most of the higher-ups were foolish, anyhow.” She shook her head, “The _good_ thing is… she’s somewhere safe, now.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the moonlight now the only thing casting light on the ruined mansion.

“Perhaps it was a good thing you found me in the tunnels, Beatrice.” The man broke the silence. She laughed, “Of course it was. We would have been found by now. You _are_ particularly good at hiding, Lemony.”

“And… pretending to be dead.” He cleared his throat.

“Ah, that too.” Beatrice said jokingly, “Now, we need to figure out where they’ll be heading next. We need to be with our children.”

Lemony nodded, then taking her hand, “Of course. I’m sure Bertrand will be glad to hear the lights of his life are alive, and very much well.”

* * *

“HOLY FUCKING _SHIT!”_ Quigley shouted as a pastel world of dreams came into their view. Lunari giggled as Kira walked over to Arisa’s cottage. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS PLACE! IT’S SO-”

“Cute?” Isadora answered, looking a little disappointed. Lilac hummed, “Asira’s dreamscape was a little more muted than this - thankfully.”

Nick snorted at them.

“Well, she _is_ a mirror of Arisa after all.” Violet said, “What can you do?”

“Who’re Asira and Arisa?” Duncan asked.

“Arisa is the one who created this world - and she’s our guardian and mentor. She gifted us her magic so we could become dream weavers.” Klaus replied as the soft wind whipped around them.

“And Asira is her mirror - we’re mirrors of Violet and Klaus.” Nick replied, “They summoned us for help or whatever.”

“Holy shit.” Was all Quigley could say, “Holy shit, holy _shit!”_

“ _MAGIC IS REAAAAAAL._ ” Isadora shouted to the celestial skies above, causing some of the children to laugh loudly.

Jacquelyn smiled to herself. This… was where she belonged. With other dream weavers, in a place full of light and promise.

She wasn’t meant to die with all the rest in that world... in that timeline.

Her fate was here. Her fate was tied to these children and the other dream weavers.

They then made their way to Arisa’s cottage, Lilac introducing herself and the others to Isadora. The Quagmires acted as Violet, Klaus, and Sunny did when they had first arrived. Klaus pointed to the tall building that was Arisa’s library tower, to which they gazed up at in excitement.

Arisa was overjoyed to meet the Quagmires, and even _more_ overjoyed to hear the Lunari was going to mentor them and gift them her magic.

Kira relayed the happenings of the mission to Arisa, and introduced her to Jacquelyn, a dream weaver who was - unfortunately - burdened with the talent of dreamy fire spells (Which was unfortunate for Jacquelyn, really.). Arisa blinked at her, slowly taking her hand,

“We’ll speak privately… as soon as possible.” She said. Jacquelyn only nodded.

From there, the glittering woman decided to take her leave.

Kira then told Arisa about the Quagmire parents, and the bunny woman mumbled in anger,

“Though irritating and highly dangerous, finding the Quagparents shouldn’t be _too_ hard.” She said, her fluffy, pink cotton tail twitching. She turned to stare at the Quagmires, who blinked at her in confusion. Arisa thought for a moment, then quickly turned back around to Kira,

“Kira - could you take Kathrine and Eliza with you and try to search for Frederick and Melanie?”

Kira’s eyes widened for a moment before she turned stern,

“Those two _idiots_ don’t take _anything_ seriously!” She breathed, “That was the _entire reason_ why you sent Lunari and I to perform these rescue missions! What in the _Universal Collection_ makes you think that I’ll be able to keep _both_ of those little _dipshits_ under control!?” She ranted on to a snickering Arisa.

“S-say what y-you w-will about them, K-Kira,” Lunari said kindly, “But both Kathrine _and_ Eliza are respectable, high-ranking dream weavers.”

“Absolutely _not!”_ Kira huffed.

“Is Ruby a-available?” Lunari decided to suggest, “She’s n-nearly a-as powerful a-as you, Lady A-Arisa.”

Kira gave the _kemonomimi_ a hopeful look, “She’s still... _feral_ like they are, my Lady, but she’s... a lot _easier to control_ than those two - you know this well.”

Arisa was giggling to herself as the elf complained. She then began to compose herself,

“I’m sure Amelia won’t mind it - I’m sure the girl would like to hear that Ruby will be helping with this… situation.” The bunny woman nodded,

“I’ll call her as soon as possible. For now, we need to prepare the Quagmire kiddos for their blessings ceremony.”

Isadora and Duncan looked at each other in glee as Quigley stared at her, “ _Blessings ceremony?”_

“Indeed, little stars!” Arisa chirped brightly, “Lunari will gift each of you some of her magic, and you will become dream weavers!” 

Lunari nodded, “Y-yes! I-in the c-coming days, y-you w-will however n-need to know a-about the ways of the d-dream weaver, though.”

Quigley then groaned, “ _Studying?”_

“Sad to say it - but that’s how it be.” Arisa nodded.

“You’ll get used to it.” Violet said as she leaned over the couch between Isadora and Quigley’s heads, “I don’t like reading, either, but _fuck_ if reading about magical shit ain’t fun.”

Klaus and Nick came out of the kitchen, Sunny floating behind on her little cloud, Solitude hopping over to Arisa.

“We made snacks!” The little one said. Sunny nodded, clapping her tiny hands. The Baudelaire boys were carrying some trays full of various dumplings.

"Aw, dunk, snacks!" Violet grinned, "And my _favorite!"_

“ _Ogh,_ thank _God,_ I was _starving!”_ Quigley said as the boys put the trays down on the coffee table. Isadora snorted,

“You’re always hungry, moron.”

“BitchSaysWhat?” Quigley replied quickly.

“You’re not getting anyone with that anymore.” Isadora glared at him.

A few of the others giggled as they began to eat.


	16. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires settle in, and Jacquelyn begins to adapt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.  
> -Dragons are from my lair on Flight Rising! (https://www1.flightrising.com/lair/121070)

Arisa stood outside near her cottage with Lunari and the children, a hand on her chin. She looked around the vast area, squinting her eyes, bending her body this way and that to see around, lowering and raising her rabbit ears.

She then warned them to stay back as her hands began to shine beautifully,

And she threw them up in the air.

The ground below shook greatly,

Then,

Before the Quagmires very eyes,

A large cottage similar to Arisa’s rose up, a garden springing up, connecting to the _kemonomimi’s,_ along with a white cobblestone path leading from both the front door and to Arisa’s cottage. Instead of pink with white trimmings like Arisa’s, it was white with blue and purple trimmings. It was a pleasant little cottage - cozy enough to house the Quagmire family - and Lunari currently.

Lunari nearly burst into happy tears, running to hug Arisa tightly as soon as her work was done.

The Quagmires were awestruck, standing slack jawed at first before jumping up and down, all around, in glee.

Later in the day, after all was settled, Ruby arrived to greet Arisa and Kira.

“WHAT’S UP SIS!?” Ruby cried as she appeared in a cloud of light and glitter, her clawed paws up in the air in greeting. Arisa giggled at her, “Good as always to see you, Rubes.”

“So what’s the news, nerd?” Ruby asked, grinning, baring sharp teeth.

“Well, as said over the communicator, you will be aiding Kira in an… _attempt_ to find the Quagmire parents - Frederick and Melanie.” Arisa replied, Kira nodding. Ruby nodded,

“ _Goooot_ cha. When’re we leavin’?”

“As soon as possible, Lady Ruby.” Kira replied, “Time is of the essence. This will also give the Quagmire children time to settle and go through their blessings ceremony.”

“Gosh - lotsa those these days, huh?” Ruby said, perky. Kira hummed, “The more dream weavers there are, the better odds there are against the beasts and evils of The Shadows.”

Ruby hummed in agreement.

* * *

“Wow. ‘Didn’t expect a lot of this to be a bummer.” Quigley said, looking down at his new commonplace book.

“S-such is the w-way of the U-Universal Collection, y-young one.” Lunari said from within the massive globe of the library tower.

Isadora fiddled with her new, glittering skirt, “I just didn’t expect VFD to be so…”

“Shitty?” Duncan offered.

“Hm. Yeah.” Isadora nodded toward her brother, “That.”

“When’s this ceremony thing?” Quigley asked, looking up at Lunari.

“I-in just a few d-days - as with the B-Baudelaires, you’ve proven t-to a-absorb information very well. It’s… _odd_ h-how gifted y-you c-children are.” The draconic lyn addressed him.

Isadora rose an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Usually i-it takes a few w-weeks for these informational c-classes t-to sink in,” Lunari explained, “But y-you lot seem to g-get it easily.”

“...I guess that makes sense.” Quigley shrugged, leaning back in the armchair he sat in.

Lunari hummed, “Y-you will a-also b-be getting your d-dragon steeds - which means y-you will be b-bonded w-with a dragon!”

“WE GET TO RIDE _DRAGONS!?”_ Duncan shouted suddenly, causing Isadora and Quigley to snap their attention to him. Lunari giggled as Duncan cleared his throat shyly,

“Your excitement i-is understandable, y-young o-one.”

Isadora and Quigley grinned wildly.

* * *

“So what’re we supposed to do, now? Just sit here and _wait?”_ Klaus asked, laying down on the warm stone surrounding the Celestial Spring.

“We _could_ formulate some sort of plan for our next destination.” Violet mused. She sat on the edge of the spring, her legs in the water. Lilac sat behind her, braiding her mirror self’s hair gently.

“You know that’d be fruitless as fuck.” Nick said from a tree by the waterfall, “Shitlaf could be lurking around there.”

Solitude and Sunny ran around some of the brush, chasing each other. Sunny was able to walk on her own, now. They’d realized this as soon as they got back, when Sunny was so excited to see them return, she’d hopped off the couch and ran over to them, catching everyone by surprise.

The little sunshine’s first steps.

Lilac furrowed her brows,

“Why do you think he keeps running away from us… if he’s as powerful as they say?”

Klaus sat up, “That is a… good point…” The bookworm said, shaking a finger in her direction. Nick snorted,

“Probably _measuring our abilities_ or someshit.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Violet sniffed, “But I know one thing’s for certain.”

“Hm?” Lilac wondered from behind her.

“...We’re going to beat the shit out of him.” Violet finished.

Nick chuckled, “That’s for _certain_ written in the stars, my friend.”

“Kill, kill!” Sunny babbled loudly, running over to Klaus. Solitude giggled, following her,

“Maim! Stab with crystals and gems!”

Nick grinned at the toddlers, “Now _they’ve_ got the right idea!”

Lilac rolled her eyes, Violet giggling, gently kicking her feet in the water. Klaus caught both of the toddlers in his arms and they all laughed, the two of them starting to climb all over the bookworm.

“Question.” Nick asked.

“Answer.” Violet replied.

“Fuck off.” Nick hissed. Violet cackled as Lilac gently slapped her on the arm.

“When’d Klaus get taller than me?” Nick continued, side eyeing the bookworm. Klaus looked at the boy with confusion, “What’re you on about, moron?”

“He’s right.” Violet grumbled, “You’ve gotten taller and it’s fuckin’ annoying.”

Lilac nodded in agreement, “I don’t want to end up being the shortest one here.”

Nick laughed, “You’ve still got Solitude and Sunny!” Which caused Lilac to shoot him a glare.

“You’re all just being sour.” Klaus replied as Sunny ran over to Nick in the tree, patting her hands on the trunk. Solitude sat in the bookworm’s lap, flipping the pages of a book that lay open nearby.

“Not sour - _honest.”_ Lilac said with an air of sarcasm. Violet giggled.

“Sure. If that’s what you wanna call it to make you feel better.” Klaus shot back. Violet responded to this by splashing water in his direction, causing him to quickly raise a small shield of magic in front of his book. Nick cackled loudly.

* * *

Jacquelyn sat at the white wood gazebo, leaning over the railing. She gazed up at the sparkling sky - the pastel blues, pinks, and purples. The solar bodies of midday, the lunar bodies of the oncoming evening. The twinkling stars, wispy cotton clouds. The Baudelaire’s dragons were flying about with some dream-like birds.

There was so much to see. So much that was new to her. A beautiful world.

All made by-

“Jacquelyn?” Arisa’s voice came.

... _Her._

Jacquelyn turned to Arisa, who stepped inside the gazebo, “Lady Arisa.”

“Are you doing alright?” The bunny woman asked. Jacquelyn smiled,

“I’m… doing better than I was.”

“‘Better than being trapped in that world, I’m sure.” Arisa replied, sitting across from her. Jacquelyn nodded,

“...It’s… so nice. To not be in such a… dreary world, I mean.” She breathed, “I… belonged somewhere brighter. Like… like Z-”

She stopped, inhaling sharply.

“...Zenith.” Arisa said gently.

Jacquelyn only nodded.

“...She… Zenith was a wonderful dream weaver. She meant well.” Arisa gave a soft smile.

Jacquelyn stayed silent.

Arisa looked at the floor,

“I just… wish she didn’t…”

“Leave? Sacrifice herself?” Jacquelyn stared at her. Arisa looked up at the auburn-haired woman. She opened her mouth for a moment, closed it, and then said,

“...She- She was only trying to…” She stopped, gripping the edge of the wood on her seat.

“She just wanted to save it.” Jacquelyn whispered, gripping her arm, “She took me in, first. She said she’d find more like me, as well, once she found a way to save the timeline.”

Arisa furrowed her brows,

“How old were you… when you became a dream weaver?”

The woman sighed,

“I was… about thirteen or fourteen. Somewhere around there.”

Arisa only nodded.

“And… Zenith… I... to see her fall… she… she told me to run.” Jacquelyn said softly, “The… the beast… I was.. seventeen...” She then took in another sharp breath, trying not to cry.

“...You… you can cry if you need to, Jacquelyn.” Arisa said softly.

Jacquelyn brought a hand up to her face, covering her eyes as she shivered. Arisa moved quickly to her side, placing a calming hand on her thigh,

“You survived it all, even without Zenith.”

Jacquelyn shook her head slightly, shivering and crying softly.

Arisa sighed, then wrapping her arms around the woman.

They stayed like this for a while.

* * *

Two days later, Lunari and Arisa lead the Quagmires out to a wide space on the Iridescent Plains, the Baudelaires tagging along, knowing _exactly_ what this meant.

The triplets were confused-

“So what’re we out here for?” Duncan asked, looking between Arisa and Klaus. Violet giggled gleefully, making Lilac silence her with a hard pat on the head. Sunny and Solitude hopped excitedly around Arisa.

“Allow my own students to show you,” Arisa said, motioning to the elder Baudelaires, who ran out, then lifted their hands straight up to the sky, some splaying out their fingers.

The Quagmires looked with confusion as they saw the marks on the backs of their hands glow - Violet and Klaus’s with crescent moons, and Lilac and Nick’s with full moons.

Then, there came the great flapping of wings, and the clouds above broke, Eszti charging through first, then followed by Salaria and Cristel, MidnightMoon gliding just behind them.

The triplets watched in awe as the dragons landed on the soft grasses with an aura of beauty and grace, Salaria shaking some stardust off her wings.

“D-... _dragons_ …” Duncan said, staring at the four great beasts that stood near their respective rider.

“HOLY _FUCK! DRAGONS!”_ Quigley shouted with excitement. The little Baudelaire toddlers jumped up and down, chanting “ _Dragons! Dragons! Dragons!”_

Lunari giggled at them, then walking over to the Quagmires, “M-Most young d-dream weavers g-get d-dragons to ride.”

“Where are you ‘n’ Kira’s dragons?” Nick called over to her. Lunari smiled,

“Th-they’re resting i-in the Valley of D-Dragons. We’ll v-visit th-them one day, y-you needn’t worry.”

Duncan raised his eyebrows in interest.

“Now,” Arisa said, “Let me call them… they should be nearby…”

Just as she did a while before, she placed two fingers in her mouth, and whistled loudly-

-And Cherry Jewel appeared, followed by three other dragons.

“ _GHOLY FUGGIN-”_ Quigley shouted again. Isadora placed a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his excitement at least a _little_ bit.

Cherry Jewel bowed her great head to Arisa, “Good to see you, my Lady. I’ve brought the friends I sensed were linked to these children.”

Arisa returned the gesture, “Wonderful!” She then turned to the triplets (Quigley was nearly vibrating.),

“You will bond with these dragons. Simply place your hand on their forehead, and you will be able to summon them to aid you.”

Isadora blinked at them, then moved slowly over to the darker dragon. Quigley ran straight over to the soft purple dragon.

Duncan snapped out of his awe-struck state, following after his siblings, over to the mint-colored one.

“...What are your names?” Isadora asked, looking from the dragon in front of her to the others.

“I am Edmund.” The dark dragon spoke, his voice distant but strong.

“Yue!” The purple dragoness chirped, smiling.

“Je suis Menthe - a pleasure to meet you.” The mint dragoness spoke elegantly.

Isadora cocked her head to the side, looking up at Edmund, “So we just… touch your foreheads?”

“Palms to scales, as was said.” Edmund nodded down at her. Quigley quickly raised his hand as if to high five, then _gently_ placed it onto Yue’s forehead as she leaned down.

Menthe and Edmund bowed their heads down as well, and Duncan placed a careful hand onto Menthe’s forehead.

Isadora looked closely at Edmund’s shimmering, purple eyes. She looked at her hand,

And then put it onto the dragon’s forehead.

The triplets and the dragons then closed their eyes. Each of the Quagmire’s hands began to feel comfortably warm, then white hot. Duncan winced slightly, but his hand didn’t move. Isadora remained still. Quigley smiled, ignoring the pain.

There was a bright flash of light, making the three snap their eyes open - 

A star with rounded points appeared on the back of each of their hands. Duncan’s a pastel green, Isadora’s a soft grey, and Quigley’s a bright purple.

“E-Excellent.” Lunari beamed with pride.

“...Extravagant.” Isadora said, touching the back of her hand. The marks faded.

“Dragons are the source of all magic, due to them being one of the first magical beings the Grand Creator made.” Arisa reminded them, “Now you are more prepared than ever to become dream weavers.”

Quigley pumped his fists into the air, Duncan laughing at him. Isadora smiled sweetly, looking at Edmund, who nodded gently.

The Baudelaires ran over to the triplets, hugging and congratulating them, their own dragons welcoming Menthe, Edmund, and Yue to their group.

In just a couple of days, the blessings ceremony would transpire once again.

* * *

Ruby hummed while she and Kira stepped quickly through the musky tunnels of VFD. The elven woman moved her lantern around carefully, “It’s been days, now.” She sighed pathetically.

“I’m sure we’ll find ‘em. They couldn’t have gone far. The Shadows wouldn’t leave a realm ‘til they were done with it.” Ruby replied, attempting to reassure the woman.

Kira grumbled, “They could be _anywhere_ in this city!” She hissed, “Or _worse!”_

“Don’t say that- I’ll get anxious.” Ruby snipped, “Bes _iiiides,_ I’ve already stomped on several lower tier nightmares already!”

Kira cornered her eyes, “With recklessness like that, the Quagmire parents could _die_ before we even _get_ to them!”

“WhatDidIJust _Say!”_ Ruby chirped, “Be positive, bitch! Come on.”

The elven woman only gripped her staff in frustration.

The only sounds were their footsteps, the occasional drip-drop of water, the women stepping through a puddle, or an automobile running over a grate or manhole. Suddenly, Kira’s lantern began to glitter brightly, causing her to halt suddenly, reaching out an arm to stop a confused Ruby.

“ _What?”_ Ruby whispered, impatient.

Kira swallowed, “... _There’s someone here.”_ She said quietly, her voice hopeful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case of confusion:  
> The first dragon shown is Menthe, Duncan's dragon, second one shown is Edmund, Isadora's dragon, and the third dragon shown is Yue, Quigley's dragon!


	17. Mania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A complicated past is uncovered, and plans are formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

The radiant solar bodies rose over a new morning, the glittering skies soft with blues, pinks, and purples. One of the celestial planets was closer today - a large pink planet with rings made with brilliant crystals.

While the Quagmires went with Kathrine to the Sunshimmer Wood to dive into the Celestial Spring, Arisa called the elder Baudelaires and Jacquelyn in for an urgent meeting.

“Kira and Ruby contacted me last night.” The _kemonomimi_ said, pouring some tea into Jacquelyn’s cup, “They didn’t find the Quagmire parents… but… they _did_ find somebody else.”

“...Damn.” Nick swore softly.

“Who!?” Klaus asked.

“A man named Lemony Snicket.” Arisa answered, placing the teapot down on the dining room table.

Jacquelyn nearly dropped her tea,

“D-did you say… _Lemony? Snicket?”_

“Yes, Jacquelyn, I did-” Arisa said, then leaning over the table suddenly, “ _Do you know him?”_

Violet’s eyes shifted downward in confusion, “Why do I… recognize that name..?”

Lilac hummed, leaning back in her chair. Nick bit the inside of his cheek.

 _GOD, I wish I could just fucking TELL them._ He thought, _This is SO unfair._

“You _should_ recognize that name, Violet,” Jacquelyn said shakily, “Because that man… is…”

The woman looked at Arisa with worried eyes. Nick stared at her,

 _Do it Do it Do it Do it-_

The bunny woman sighed,

 _You might as well get it out of the way, now._ Her face seemed to say.

“Is… what?” Violet asked, looking at Jacquelyn, somewhat suspicious.

“...He’s… Lemony is… he’s one of your birth parents.” Jacquelyn said slowly.

“... _Huh?”_ Klaus asked, “Is she not my sister..?”

“Oh, no, she’s your sister, dude.” Nick snorted, “She’s just got an… uhm… _extra parent.”_ He grinned.

Lilac slapped the researcher in the arm. He continued to grin like an idiot.

“So, what - did they..?” Violet blinked at Jacquelyn. Klaus leaned back in his chair, his head back, hands over his face,

“ _That’s a HUGE fucking TMI-”_

“YOU’RE the one THINKING it you DOLT.” Violet snapped at him.

Nick began to cackle, “Both in one night? Wow, mom was incredible.” He joked. Klaus let out a horrible groan, and Lilac glared at him, “ _Was thAT REALLY NECESSARY, NICK LIAM?”_

“Perhaps.” The boy said smugly.

“This is embarrassing.” Violet said loudly.

“Ok, so he was one of our parents, I guess?” Klaus asked.

“Precisely. He… faked his death. For various reasons. Mostly because of… me.” Jacquelyn said.

Arisa sighed again.

“What?” Violet asked softly.

Jacquelyn sat rigidly in her seat,

“Allow me to… explain.”

* * *

The night was black as pitch - not a cloud in the sky, the moon new. A young Jacquelyn and Lemony stood in an alleyway by the opera house.

Lemony paced back and forth, a glittering Jacquelyn dawned in burgundy stood before him. She looked panicked - desperate.

“You can’t tell them about me.” Jacquelyn whispered, “More _importantly_ \- we need to find a way to stop them from doing this - we _all_ know it’s not right. We _need_ to tell Olaf! Before… before-!”

“J.” Lemony said, his voice stern, “If we don’t do this… the organization will _kill_ us.”

“ _Lemony-”_

“Then, after they’re through with _us,_ they’ll _still_ kill his parents - and maybe even him.” He continued, “At the end of the day, J, if we don’t do the job, we’re disposable. You know that. _I_ know that, _B and B_ know that.”

“ _But Zenith said this could save the timeline-!”_ Jacquelyn cried out.

“Stop.” Lemony interrupted her. She was close to sobbing, now. She then grit her teeth and stared at him,

“...I’m going to stop them.”

Lemony stopped and stared at her with wide eyes,

“J, you better _fucking_ not.”

“Then _you_ do it, or _I will.”_ The girl threatened him. Lemony swallowed,

“... I…” He attempted, then closed his mouth, exhaling heavily out of his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“Convince them not to do it - and don’t tell them about my secret.” Jacquelyn whispered, stepping over to him. She wrapped her hands gently around one of his, looking at him with pleading eyes.

“B will find out. She’s smart - you know that.” Lemony whispered.

“...Then you better hope she keeps it a secret.” Jacquelyn said,

“And, by the way.”

Lemony looked at her, “What.”

“Stop calling everyone by their first initial one we’ve gotten out. It’s ridiculous.” She joked, giving a small smile. Lemony only snorted.

Jacquelyn let go of his hand, then backing up slowly. She turned and ran quickly into the night, a trail of bright glitter following her. She disappeared, as if invisible.

Lemony simply stood there, standing by the side door to the opera house, in that alleyway. There were some clicking heels. He whirled around to see Beatrice,

“...Beatrice-!”

“What are you doing here? The show’s about to start.” She smiled softly.

Lemony swallowed, nervous,

“B, I- Beatrice, we can’t do this.”

“We have to, L. It’s the noble thing to do.”

“ _No._ It’s _not._ You _know_ it’s not. You need to snap out of that _world_ that they’ve put us in - _tried_ to put us in-!”

“L, what are you talking about?” Beatrice cocked her head to the side. Her smile seemed fake.

It was.

“Beatrice.” Lemony said softly, “Listen,”

“L, we’re going to be late. You know I need to start soon, and they’ll find it odd that you’re missing. We have roles to fulfill.”

“ _Beatrice.”_

“L, please.”

“ **_Beatrice._ ** _”_ Lemony nearly shouted, causing the girl in front of him to stop, slightly shaken.

He swallowed,

“Just… listen to me.”

She shifted her weight, inhaling deeply,

“...Alright.”

Lemony swallowed, looking around him,

“Here’s what we’re going to do.”

* * *

Lemony entered the balcony. His hands were clammy, his chest tight. He took his seat beside Esmé. Kit and Olaf sat chattering, as per usual.

“There has been a change of plans.” Lemony announced, trying to sound calm. Esmé turned to look at him, “What are you on about, darling?”

Kit eyed Lemony,

“What?”

“What, are we leaving? _God,_ I hope so - this is going to be _incredibly_ boring - no offense to Beatrice.” Olaf said, clearing his throat.

“We’ll be meeting in the alleyway, come with me. Esmé, take your sugar bowl with you.” Lemony explained, getting up again.

“Why ever would I need to bring that with me? What about the rest?” Esmé scoffed, “I need the _entire_ set, darling - “

“Just… do it. It’s a far more important piece than all of the others.” Lemony argued. Kit had already gotten up, dragging a confused Olaf with her.

As they walked to their destination, Kit fell behind to Lemony’s position,

“L - what’s going on?” She hissed at him, “Has the mission been compromised? What’s going on?”

“It’s not compromised - there’s going to be an uprising - a word which here means-”

“I _know_ what that word means, you shitty little idiot!” Kit swore, “We need to do the _noble_ thing! Olaf’s parents are just going to _abuse_ their fortune-!”

“What are you two whispering about back there?” Esmé’s voice came.

“My brother is being a dipshit.” Kit replied, semi-obviously.

Olaf snorted, “So, nothing new, eh?”

“Somewhat.” Kit growled, looking at Lemony. Her brother glared at her,

“And how do you _know_ that they would do that? That they’ve been telling us the _truth?”_ He whispered harshly.

“I-” His sister began. She stopped.

A realization hit her,

“...That’s…”

Lemony looked straight ahead,

“I’m going to tell them _everything._ And we’re going to end this, once and for all.”

Kit gave him a worried look as they came upon the door to the alleyway.

* * *

Beatrice and Bertand had already showed up, and Esmé let out an irritated huff as Kit stood silently beside Olaf. Lemony cleared his throat, looking around carefully,

“Now, listen. This is… vitally important-”

“Oh, shit, I forgot my spyglass, hold on.” Olaf grumbled. Lemony stared at him in horror.

“You know how important that stupid thing is - they’d _really_ let me have it this time if they found out I lost another one,” He said stupidly, “I’ll be back, no worries.”

“Olaf, no, wait, that can wait-!” Beatrice said quickly.

“Don’t worry about it!” Olaf said, pushing through them and back through the door.

“..Damn it all-” Lemony swore.

“We need to go after him-!” Kit cried out.

“No, the mission was supposed to start long ago,” Beatrice said quickly, “With my absence they’re no doubt getting suspicious.”

“What 'mission?'” Esmé rose an eyebrow.

“A good question.” Jacquelyn said, entering the alleyway from the darkness. Her clothing was now normally formal, like the others,

“There’s a conspiracy going on. This entire organization is a damned hoax.”

* * *

Esmé stood shakily, clutching her sugar bowl in her hand. Kit held onto her arm tenderly. Beatrice and Bertrand looked guilty as all hell. It took a good few minutes to spill the information.

Lemony swallowed as Jacquelyn placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You can’t be serious..?” The blonde said, looking at Kit, who only sighed and looked away.

“We need to find Olaf. We need to scatter.” Bertand said.

Jacquelyn gave Esmé a heavy stare,

“We need to keep that _porcelain trophy_ out of their hands.”

“Well, _clearly!”_ Esmé hissed, “ _It’s mine!”_

“Really, it’s not yours, if you think about it.” Kit coughed. The blonde glared at her. Kit chuckled.

Suddenly, there was shouting from inside, and without a second thought, all but Esmé rushed back into the opera house. She brought the hand holding the bowl up, staring at it.

Inside, Olaf’s parents had been chased by a group of higher ups. One of them, clearly ahead of the others, stepped through,

“L, J, B, K, B, good. You’re all here. We’ll have to punish you for nearly jeopardizing the mission.” He said, “Now, we have you two cornered. I would advise not to run - we have poison darts. Make this easier on yourselves, yes?”

“N-no…” Beatrice muttered, her eyes filling with tears.

“ _Damn_ it _ALL!”_ Bertrand shouted, “ _We’re not going to do this!”_

“If you won’t, then we shall. Either way, the job will still be done.” The man said darkly. Beatrice screamed out an apology to Olaf’s parents. They looked terrified. But they knew.

They knew it was too late.

It was always too late.

As this happened, back outside, Esmé brought up the sugar bowl higher, gazing at it with sad eyes. She felt hot tears drip down her face. She gulped, squeezing her eyes shut-

-And the blonde threw it down onto the hard concrete under her, shattering the sugar bowl into a dozen, sharp, white shards.

She then ran in to see two of the higher ups rushing forward, stabbing the Olaf’s parents in the chest, causing them to fall backwards. Kit cried out in agony, Beatrice and Bertrand running over to them. Olaf ran in, seeing the chaos, pushed through the crowd of VFD officials - 

To see Beatrice and Bertrand Baudelaire leaning over his bloody parents, sobbing.

“Ah, Olaf, there you are.” The man said, walking to the boy’s side,

“Beatrice and Bertrand Baudelaire have carried out their mission - pleasant to see you’re still alive and walking... I suppose.” He hummed, “We’ll speak of your next steps in the next few hours.”

Esmé placed her hands over her mouth.

_He was lying._

“No…” Olaf said desperately.

Beatrice and Bertrand looked up at him in a panic. Lemony swallowed harshly,

“Olaf, please, they’re lying to you, they’re your _friends_ they _wouldn’t-!”_

 _“_ **_SHUT UP. MURDERERS._ ** _”_ Olaf screeched, “ **_YOU’LL REGRET THIS. YOU’LL BURN FOR THIS. I WON’T REST UNTIL I’VE HAD MY REVENGE. FUCK THIS ORGANIZATION._ ** _”_

Jacquelyn stood there, slack-jawed. The rest was like a whirlwind. Lemony took off, dragging Beatrice and Bertrand with him. Esmé tried to call out to Olaf, but he ran past her, back out into the alleyway.

Kit stayed silent, watching Lemony and the Baudelaires disappearing. Some of the officials dispersed, clearly trying to apprehend them. The man asked Esmé where the sugar bowl was. She lied as well, saying Olaf had broken it.

Lemony had disappeared after that. Days later, the _Daily Punctilio_ ran his obituary. Jacquelyn doubted it. She eventually learned he faked his death. He probably didn’t want to be found. He was probably angry with her. Maybe.

Jacquelyn felt like her world had crashed down around her. Everything she’d worked for - all gone up in smoke. Esmé had become steadily depressed over the years, indulging herself in her work, sealing herself away in some penthouse in the city. Kit became distraught, guilt pulling at her like a rusty fishhook. Beatrice and Bertrand left the organization - they tread carefully for years.

Until the fire.

It was all lies and deceit and framing others and chaos.

This timeline couldn’t be saved.

It just wasn’t meant to happen.

It just wasn’t how the story went.

* * *

Lilac blinked, Nick glancing at his sister in surprise,

“Well that’s… a _lot_ different than how it went for us.” He said, breaking the silence. Jacquelyn sat, feeling dread and guilt, looking down at her hands, her face stained with tears.

“That doesn’t give Olaf an excuse to be a bastard.” Violet let out. Nick snorted, trying not to bust out laughing. Arisa gave him a motherly glare. The boy cleared his throat.

“...Holy… _shit…”_ Klaus muttered, staring at the ceiling.

“What happened to Zenith?” Lilac asked, “If you don’t mind me asking..?”

Jacquelyn looked up at the girl,

“...I don’t like to even... _think_ about it.”

Lilac swallowed, feeling bad, “R-right. Nevermind, then.”

“It’s fine.” The woman replied quickly.

“So, I’m guessing we gotta find this Lemony dude?” Klaus asked, “Are Kira and Ruby coming back?”

Arisa shook her head, “No. They’ll be with Lemony to ensure his safety. Apparently, since you’ve been apprehending The Shadows and bringing back souls, it’s been getting… worse.”

“More nightmare beasts?” Violet asked.

“More or less, yes.” Arisa replied, “The two even had a run in with Olaf once, but they retreated - well, Kira had to drag Ruby away, honestly.”

“He’s far too dangerous to face with just two.” Jacquelyn said, “The Shadows have been making him stronger by each rising sun and setting moon - we need to focus on saving the others.”

Lilac looked at her with fear plastered on her face,

“...Before he can get to them _first.”_

Arisa nodded, her bunny ears bobbing, “Precisely.”

“I hope the Quags are ready for a wild ass ride, then.” Nick said, looking at Klaus. The bookworm shook his head quickly, trying to focus,

“Y-yeah…”

A few more minutes of silence passed before Quigley plapped quickly into the dining room, looking like a wet dog,

“ _YOU GUYS AREN’T GONNA BELIEVE THIS-”_ Followed by Isadora slapping him on the back of his head, “Kathrine said to wait outside because we’re soaked you fucking _moron._ ”

Arisa stood up slowly as Kathrine fluttered in, looking somewhat surprised.

* * *

The Quagmires now sat with the others in the living room, mostly dry, wrapped in towels.

“So, from what I’m getting, we’re the newest generation of dream weavers who will be watched and protected by the First Dreamers or whatever?” Nick asked, peeling a glimmering fruit.

“Precisely.” Arisa stated, “Though it’s a glorious thing, and a _wonderful_ opportunity I feel… _worried.”_

“Why?” Violet asked.

“Is this about… what happened to you in your past..?” Klaus blurted out. Sunny slapped at his arm.

Arisa swallowed,

“Mostly, yes.”

Lilac glanced at Jacquelyn,

“Zenith w-was one of the ones, along with you and Kira, to be seen by them, right?”

The bunny woman sighed, “Yes. Centuries ago, when we were first starting out as dream weavers.”

“I-it’s a b-blessing _and_ a c-curse.” Lunari sighed. Arisa looked down at her lap.

“Question, though, Jacky - how’d Zenith bless you with her magic without having anything like dragons or a magical binder, like the Spring?” The moth faerie continued.

“She was able to… manifest her power into little… pills?” Jacquelyn replied, “And I kept taking them until I was ready.”

Arisa blinked at her, “... _Remarkable…_ I’d never thought of that…”

Jacquelyn chuckled, “It took a while, so that’s mostly why you possibly haven’t thought of it.”

Kathrine shrugged, “I suppose so. ‘Gotta work with what ya got.”

“So,” Duncan piped up, “We’re Very Important People?”

Quigley’s eyes glittered, “VIP dream weavers, _bitcheees!”_

Arisa snorted, trying not to laugh. Lilac rolled her eyes and Solitude clapped her little hands.

Kathrine cackled, “Yeah, pretty much! Cool thing is now you can officially accept Lunari’s magic!”

Lunari nodded, “T-tomorrow shall b-be the b-blessings ceremony a-at t-the Tree of Infinity. Hopefully your nerves have calmed by now?”

Isadora hummed, “Surprisingly, yes. Whatever those echoed voices are, they’ve been helping me.”

“The First Dreamers!” Kathrine piped up, “They’ve been speaking to them!”

Violet’s eyes glittered, “They’ve spoken to me, too! To keep me calm!”

The other teens nodded in agreement.

Arisa began to smile,

“I hope they continue to speak to you, then, little stars. Now, let us all rest. We all have a big day tomorrow!”

* * *

Lemony leaned back in his chair in a run down apartment, staring at Kira and Ruby, who were currently formulating another plan.

“Once the Quagmire children have been blessed, Lunari will return here to collect Lemony and the two others he has said he’s been keeping safe.” Kira spoke quickly, scrolling through her communicator orb, “Their names are indeed on the list - oddly at the very bottom.”

“Maybe they were assumed dead? They don’t even have last names.” Ruby said helpfully.

“Perhaps. Lemony,” Kira said, looking at the man, ignoring that he’d been staring at them, “What did you say their names were?”

Lemony cleared his throat, “Beatrice and Bertrand.”

“Do you know their last names?” Kira asked. Ruby blinked at him.

“...At risk of compromise-” Lemony began-

“We’ve placed a protective aura around the perimeter - my lantern does not detect any nightmares.” Kira interrupted him matter-of-factly.

“...Baudelaire.” Lemony finished.

Kira nearly dropped her orb, and Ruby’s face fell into complete shock.

“...They're… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny’s parents are… _alive?”_ The wolf _kemonomimi_ asked in bewilderment. Kira returned to her communicator, filling in the last name blanks in the list.

“I was hoping to keep it a… secret until we got to… wherever we’re going.” Lemony said.

“Where are they right now?” Kira asked, shooting him a look.

“The room beside this one.” Lemony answered.

Ruby sighed, “Good. We’ll be seeing Lunari after we receive her call, then - we need to get you three to safety.”

“You’re lucky we found you before… _he_ did.” Kira hissed, “He would have killed you in an instant.”

Lemony sighed.

He wasn’t sure he was ready to face Jacquelyn again.


	18. Dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires ascend to their status as dream weavers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

Isadora lay in her bed that night, looking up at the ceiling. It had taken the form of a glittering night sky - pastel galaxies gently glowing and moving. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

_A small prayer._

She lay like that for a while, whispering.

This was the first time she and her brothers had been in separate rooms - rooms of their own. Being alone was a weird feeling. Alone with her thoughts.

Well, she could always go and see one of them, if she really _needed_ to.

_I’m too tired._

_Too tired but I cannot sleep._

_My brain is... far too wired._

_The mountain ahead seems all too steep…_

She opened her eyes again, biting her lip in frustration. Was this what they wanted? She and Quigley and Duncan? Is this what… _she_ wanted?

Giving up your mortality to become a being so at risk of being consumed by the negative emotions one feels… _was it worth it?_ Would she really want to be at risk of imminent death at every second of the day?

For the sake of everything… her brothers… her new friends…

_My… my parents…_

_They’re still out there. They’re still alive. I know they are._

_I can feel it._

She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing hard.

_Yes._

She would do it.

Despite everything.

* * *

“Alright, I know you guys’ve never ridden a dragon before - _but-!”_ Nick said the next morning as the teens stood near their dragons, “ _Trrr-ust_ me. It’s easier than you think it is. They’re not like horses or… whatever.”

Lilac snorted.

Klaus nodded, “They’re entirely sentient, they are wise - they’re _dragons.”_

“Clearly.” Violet muttered, causing Quigley to giggle.

“Now, let’s yeet out, we can’t be late for the ceremony!” Violet announced, picking up Sunny.

“Magic and pretty things!” Sunny called out as Violet placed her on Salaria’s back. Isadora smiled as Duncan chuckled.

Arisa and the other dream weaving women (Save for Kira and Ruby, of course.) went ahead earlier that morning to prepare the ceremony hall. Lunari had told them the night before to simply come as they are - they’ll be helped into their ceremonial robes. “I ch-chose them m-myself!” The draconic lyn had told them in excitement, “I t-truly do h-hope you like th-them.”

Duncan had nodded, “Whatever you’ve chosen for us, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“As long as I don’t look like a fool.” Quigley had remarked, which was followed by Isadora slapping him on the back of the head - _ever_ so gently.

Now the Quagmires were taking their first flight on the backs of their dragons - Duncan had always been a tad afraid of heights - but Menthe was kind. She soothed him, “I shall not drop you, young master - you needn’t worry.”

The boy only nodded sheepishly, grasping tightly to the dragoness’s neck. Quigley tried to keep himself from losing it, giggling.

Each of the dragons took off, Eszti leaping into the sky, his powerful legs hopping off pockets of magic.

Duncan yelped, squeezing his eyes shut. Quigley called out happily, and Isadora looked wildly around.

Solitude clapped happily from in front of Nick on Eszti’s back.

Soon, they were ascending higher and higher, breaking through the flocculent, white clouds that shimmered in the radiant solar body’s morning lights.

Eventually, they all came to an even flight pattern, flying in a scattered formation beside each other. Isadora swallowed, looking ahead at a giggling violet and quigley. Edmund hummed, then flying over to Salaria’s side so that Isadora may speak with the inventor.

Violet turned her head to the poet and grinned, “Isn’t this _incredible,_ Isa?”

It was indeed _very_ incredible - something only found in child-like dreams, far from the dangers of the outside waking world. She felt safe here, but that nagging feeling-

“Yes, but… my parents.” Isadora said after a minute of thinking.

Violet sighed, “We’re going to find them, Isadora.” She comforted the girl, “We’re going to save them. I promise.”

“...You can’t promise something like this.” Isadora merely snipped, then looking ahead,

“We’ve all seen what we’re up against.”

Violet whipped her head forward,

“Having little to no hope gives the enemy the upper hand.”

Isadora looked at the determined inventor, eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t let them have that. Have hope. Have faith.” Violet continued, then slowly looking at the poet with soft eyes. Isadora’s cheeks flushed slightly,

“...I’ll try.”

“Good.”

“Stop flirting.” Sunny said suddenly, causing Violet to look down at her sister with disdain. Isadora chuckled.

* * *

Lumiette was as luminescent as always. The shimmering waterways, shining pastel flora, white and cream brick buildings, and flocks of other magical beings made the Quagmire’s heads buzz with excitement,

“Damn, I wanna live here.” Quigley mused, “It’s pretty as _fuck.”_

Violet hummed,

“It’s a lovely view, isn’t it?”

Nick grumbled. _Here it comes._

Quigley smirked. The group’s dragons began to descend to the perches near the entrance to the Palace of Benevolence, and the cartographer turned his eyes to Violet’s,

“Very lovely indeed.”

Nick, Solitude, and Sunny all scoffed.

Violet began to giggle sweetly in spite of herself. Salaria chuckled, looking to Yue, who bobbed her head in glee at the little lovebirds.

“Enough flirting - you need to hurry to your robe fittings.” Lilac sighed as she and MidnightMoon landed first. The others landed, Duncan sliding off of Menthe as soon as she touched down,

“This _huge_ palace is in the canopy of a _gigantic tree!?”_ He squawked, spinning around slowly, looking around in awe.

“This is the Tree of Infinity.” Klaus replied, “Apparently every dreamscape has one. The palace acts as a centerpoint for all the dreamscape realms - like a universal plaza for dream weavers everywhere.”

Isadora slowly climbed off of Edmund, “That’s… really damn cool, actually.”

“So there’s more than one place like this?” Quigley asked.

Violet shrugged, “Apparently.”

The teens and toddlers made their way to the Palace, passing through the massive double doors, and into the main lobby-like hall. The Quagmire’s faces hadn’t once fallen from their wide-eyed amazement. Kathrine came to greet them and take the Quagmires to get prepared.

“Don’t get stagefright.” Violet joked as Duncan pulled Quigley away from her, breaking the cartographer’s hand from her’s.

Quigley snorted, “Yeah! Like _I_ get stagefright.”

“You once got so nervous about performing on your kalimba in front of our parents that you locked yourself in your room for five hours.” Isadora called out to him from ahead. Quigley threw her a look. Violet giggled,

“ _Awww,_ that’s _adorable!”_

“Sure is.” Duncan mocked. Quigley grumbled, “Shut the fuck up! _Shut the fuck up!”_

The Baudelaires could hear the Quagmire’s squabbling until they disappeared behind a small crowd of other people. Lilac rolled her shoulders, stretching them out, “Well. We should get to the ceremony hall, now.”

“I hate waiting for the fun parts.” Nick complained. Lilac cornered her eyes as the group began to walk a different direction.

“Waiting can be fun.” Klaus said, “A healthy dose of anticipation is good for the body.”

“Bull-ass-shit.” Violet muttered.

Klaus squinted at her, “I _heard_ that.”

“She’s right, though.” Nick argued.

“No fun waiting!” Solitude and Sunny said together. Lilac looked back at them for a moment,

“Knock it off.”

“H’okay, _mom.”_ Nick said snidely.

“I’m going to _throttle_ you, Nick Liam.”

“Bet.”

“Shut it.”

“We’re certainly just kinda like this, huh?” Violet said through their arguing. Nick chuckled.

* * *

“This will be the same as last time, mostly.” Neomi said, “Though Lunari would much rather have Arisa speak.”

Lunari nodded, “I-I’m not g-good at public s-speaking.”

“No worries, ‘Nari.” Arisa smiled at her, “I think I have the entire speech memorized by now, actually.” The bunny woman giggled.

“Yep, yep,” Kathrine said, fluttering over to Arisa’s shoulder, “The Quaggles are nearly ready, everything’s good to go, and the Bauddies are alright.”

“Excellent.” Arisa smiled, “Lunari?”

“Y-yes?”

“Are you ready?”

Lunari blinked, fiddling with her dress,

“I-I’ve come th-this f-far, haven’t I?”

Arisa chuckled, “Good enough for me.”

* * *

Isadora looked down at the shimmering blue and black gown as several glittering sprites did their work around her. She fiddled with one of the golden accessories,

“These are Lunari’s colors.” She said suddenly.

There was a chime of agreement from one of the sprites.

“She won’t replace our mother… if we can’t… find her.”

Isadora felt a sudden warmth on her cheek, and she looked to see that one of the sprites had stopped to comfort her. She gave a small smile,

“I know she means well. I get it.”

Her face fell.

“But she’s not… she isn’t…”

There was another chime from a different sprite.

Isadora sighed, “Arisa can’t replace the Baudelaire’s mother, either, but…”

_What if their parents were still alive? Out there? Trying to find all of them right now? And they didn’t know?_

“They won’t even know where to look for us if they’re alive and…”

_A l l i s w e l l ._

Isadora’s breathing hitched.

“...The First Dreamers are talking to me again.”

The sprites chimed, excited.

_B e c o m e t h e w a r r i o r y o u w e r e d e s t i n e d t o b e ._

Isadora looked down at her hands for a moment, a calming feeling washing over her. She then felt something else.

Determination.

She clenched her hands into fists,

“Right.” She breathed before looking forward. The sprites continued to work happily, applying makeup gently to the girl’s face,

“We’ll get them back. _We’ll end this misery.”_

* * *

The thousands of crystal lights dimmed in the hall once again, the crowd quieting. The gentle sound of harps and kalimbas began to play, accompanied by a piano. The audience parted, revealing a plethora of glittering sprites - soft green, white, and purple - at the entrance to the hall. Lunari watched nervously from Arisa’s side as they stood on the tiered stage at the other end.

The sprites chimed out a familiar tune, and flew up and away in a gracefully organized fashion, revealing the newest soon-to-be dream weavers.

****

Klaus and Violet’s hearts began to thump heavily against their chests, their cheeks dusted with pink.

_They’re so cute…_

Lilac cleared her throat, glancing away from Isadora for a second.

Isadora started first, walking gently down the long carpet toward the stage. Duncan double-took her for a second before moving to her side, a tad embarrassed. Quigley hollered out a few of the Baudelaire’s names - mainly a certain floral enchantress, and dashed quickly past his siblings.

Violet’s cheeks flushed a deep pink, and Isadora sighed heavily, watching her feral brother. Duncan only laughed loudly, running after him.

The audience of dream weavers laughed with them as Isadora hummed, picking up her skirts and running after brothers.

Arisa smiled gently, and Lunari felt calmer.

_They’re ok._

The Quagmires made their way up the tiered stage, then standing in front of Arisa and Lunari.

The bunny woman looked to the draconic lyn gently. Lunari nodded. Arisa bowed her head slightly, then looked back to the Quagmires,

“Duncan Dylan Quagmire, Isadora Avi Quagmire, and Quigley Kingwell Quagmire.” The _kemonomimi_ announced, Lunari then putting out her hands, cupping them together,

“You have been chosen by not only by Lady Lunari and I, but... by the Fates and the Grand Creator to aid in the protection of all realms… known and unknown.” Arisa continued,

“You join the ranks of this generation of New Dreamers - the elder Baudelaires - as you have _also_ gained the attention of the First Dreamers. You have proved your worth in ascending to the title of dream weavers.”

Isadora’s eyes glittered as she blinked at the two dream weaving women. Quigley grinned, trying not to bounce excitedly on his feet. Duncan pulled at his sleeve slightly.

Arisa breathed, “You have chosen to join your fellow dream weavers in the quest to save the sorrowed souls of your timeline. With this, you have agreed to part with your mortality - a great risk - in order to ascend to greater heights.”

Duncan nodded slowly.

“Is this truly what you desire?” Arisa asked.

The Quagmires looked at each other, communicating via triplet telepathy. They then returned their gaze to the women,

 _“Yes.”_ The Quagmires all agreed at once.

Arisa smiled widely as Lunari’s chest began to glow brightly. A large orb of light parted from her, glittering in white and blue, and landing in the center of her cupped hands,

“T-take my h-hands, y-young o-ones.” The draconic lyn cooed, _“A b-brilliant n-new life awaits y-you.”_

The Quagmires gently placed a hand into her’s, and the light flowed into their hands,

Through their arms,

And into their chests.

Isadora suddenly doubled over, feeling faint. Duncan squeezed his eyes shut, his legs threatening to buckle from under him. Quigley felt a twinge of panic rush through him.

_Am I dying?_

For a split second… their lives had ended. It was no more. Then, Isadora felt Lunari’s hand gripping her shoulder to steady her.

_We’re no longer mortals._

_We’re not even…_

_Human._

Duncan blinked, staring at his hands.

_Not any more._

Quigley broke into a goofy grin, then turning around to look at Violet, whose eyes glittered with happiness. Isadora turned as well, and then Duncan.

“Blessed am I to present you with our three newest dream weavers!” Arisa announced with joy, her heart bursting. Lunari felt happy tears slip from her eyes.

 _“May the winds of Fate ever be at our backs, guiding us, helping us…”_ The bunny woman repeated,

_“Grand Creator look after us-!”_

“ **_May the Grand Creator look after us all!_ ** _”_ The audience of dream weavers cheered happily, bursts of glittering colors lighting up the scene above them in celebration. The Baudelaires and Arisa’s children cheered loudly, applauding from the front.

“We did it.” Quigley breathed, “We’re dream weavers, now.”

“But we’re not done yet, dude.” Duncan said. Isadora hummed.

“Come on, man, let’s just have this.” Quigley laughed. Duncan snorted.

He was right, though.

It was far from over.

Lunari looked worriedly at her students.

_They’ll be fine. They all will be._

_…_

_I hope._

* * *

Kira woke with a start that night. Something was wrong.

Earlier, she had gotten off her communication orb with confirmation that Lunari would be arriving early tomorrow morning. She and Ruby had decided to try and get some sleep that night. They’d met the Baudelaire parents - Beatrice and Bertrand. They were brave people. Afraid, but brave. Beatrice expressed her desire to become a dream weaver with utmost urgency. She could help, she had said, make up for what they couldn’t do so long ago.

Kira didn’t know exactly what the woman meant by that, but she could tell that this woman was desperate to help them in finding the others.

They’d all gone to bed.

Until now.

Kira got up from the old, half broken bed, moving past Ruby (Who was curled up on a ratty rug on the floor.), to the dilapidated apartment window blinds.

“ _Damn it all.”_ The elven woman hissed. Ruby’s ears twitched,

_“Hmmn?”_

“There’s something trying to break through the barrier.”

“Wh!? _What!?”_ Ruby snapped quietly, sitting upright, alert, “But?? Fuckin’?? _How??_ We’re hidden in plain sight, The Shadows-!”

“They’ve been growing in strength. This world is coming undone far more quickly than we’d originally thought.” Kira snarled, “DAMN it ALL-” She said loudly, whipping around-

She stopped, taking deep breaths.

Their harsh whispering and Kira’s sudden shout caused the three adults to wake, Beatrice sitting up,

“We’ve been found.”

“More or less.” Kira said.

“It always happens this way.” Lemony muttered, “Can Lady Lunari make it sooner? How early is it?”

Ruby shrugged, “It’s an emergency. I think she could make it here - with backup, even.”

Kira nodded, summoning her communicator orb, “We’ll need them to act quickly, however.” The elven woman announced,

“The barrier is growing weaker by the second.”


	19. Amayadori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gentle reunion - a cover from the rains of misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video

Arisa had Lunari, Kathrine, and Eliza rush quickly outside the cottage early that morning - it had to be around four. Violet asked Arisa why the bunny woman couldn’t go, and the she replied that she would have to explain at a later time. This was an urgent situation.

Life or death.

“Your parents are alive. They’re with Lemony. _Don’t give me that look_ \- you’re all staying _here.”_ Arisa argued with the inventor. Klaus’s mouth fell open, and Sunny burst into surprised tears.

Nick leaned over the railing of the staircase, and Lilac hummed, making her way back upstairs. Solitude went to comfort her mirror self.

There was shouting outside as Arisa blocked Violet from leaving the doorway. The inventor could only watch as Lunari quickly opened a portal door back to their timeline, and the three dream weaving women rushed through, the door slamming shut behind them, vanishing into a waterfall of glitter.

_It will be fine. They will come back. Don’t shout, little flower - please. Control yourself. Breath - I know it hurts, just listen to me. Calm. Breath. See? Sunshine, are you alright? Good. Moonbeam? Are you sure? Don’t fret. Please._

Violet sat in Arisa’s arms, slowly falling back to sleep. Klaus sat beside them on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Sunny and Solitude had curled up on one of the moon chairs together, swaddled in a fluffy blanket.

“It’s all ok. This will come to pass. All problems have their place. They will be ok. They were ok before, they will be ok, now.” Arisa whispered gently, stroking Violet’s hair slowly, “All will be well, little flower. _All will be well. The Fates are sure.”_

* * *

Under the light of a bright full moon, a glittering bubble of magic surrounding a run-down apartment building began to shimmer away, glitter raining down upon the empty streets below. Billowing shadows began to crawl up the outside walls, and five figures gathered together on the roof.

“This _can’t_ be happening-” Bertrand breathed, panicking. Beatrice hushed him, taking his hand gently. Lemony’s jaw hurt from clenching his teeth together so tightly out of anxiety. Kira and Ruby performed yet another barrier spell - a smaller one this time. A stronger one.

“They won’t break through _this_ bitch that easily - don’t even worry about it!” Ruby said, “The moon is full up there - my powers are a lot stronger under these kinda circumstances!”

“A wolf thing, I’m assuming.” Beatrice tried to joke in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ruby shrugged,

“Mmmm-eh. Yeah. More or less.”

Kira went over to Bertrand, “I don’t have Lunari’s healing abilities, but I’m still a dream weaver. Calm. All will be well.” The elven woman said, placing her fingers gently onto the man’s temples, “Close your eyes.”

The shadows climbed ever higher, now beginning to spill over the edges of the roof, nearing the new barrier.

“Damn, shit - you weren’t kiddin’, Kiki.” Ruby said, her eyes widening.

“ _Hush.”_ Kira said, taking her hands away from a somewhat calmer Bertrand. Beatrice held him closely as Lemony paced.

Kira and Ruby began to focus solely on the barrier, the cloudy darkness beginning to crawl its way up the bubble of magic, beginning to envelope it. Kira breathed deeply, quietly muttering prayers. Ruby bore her sharp teeth toward the shadows.

_“W̘͉͜e̝͚l̺̺̻l̠̟̫.̦͕͇.͎̺̠.̙̦͓ w͍̫̞e͚͜l̻͎̙l̘͎͖l̢̻͖.̘͎͚.̼̫͎.̢͉̙ w͙̞̦e̦͔̠l͚͚̙l̞̺͉.̠̻̠.̘̼̺.͇͓̼”_

Kira and Ruby’s attention snapped to the direction of the voice-

“Why… why does that voice sound… _familiar…”_ Bertrand asked, looking up. Lemony stared in the same direction, stepping back slightly.

_“S̢̘͓o̡͔̝ y̝͕̺o̢̙͍u̟͔͉'͕̘̙v̪͙͜e͉͙̟.̦̘͜.̡̻̞.͚̺̝ l͙̼̫i̙̞̺v̟̫̟e̫͉͙d̦͎͓.̟͔̫.͔̺̙.̢͕͖ a̻͉̞f̞͖̺t͇̦̪e͖̼̘r̢̟͇ a̻̝̪l͇̟͕l͚̞̟.̻̺͍.̘̫̠.̟̺̼”_

“ **..** **_Olaf._ ** _”_ Kira glared at the figure that appeared in the darkness. The Shadows had completely covered the barrier, now. The only light came from Kira and Ruby.

Beatrice’s eyes filled with horror,

“Oh my _God…”_ She said softly, placing a hand on her mouth, _“What_ have you _become,_ Olaf?”

The dark creature began to laugh - if you could call it that - and Lemony swallowed.

“We tried to help you. We’ve told you the truth.” Bertrand said softly, his voice catching with fear.

 _“O̢̻͙f͓͚ a̼͙̘l͕͔͜l̡̙͍ t̘̺̺h̼̻͎e͍͙̻.̡̡͍.̡̦͓.͙̪ s̢̫͜t̢̻̺u̻͓̟p̪̦̺i͎̠̫d͍͕͍.͖̼͎.̫͓͓.̙̺̺ t̝̺͜h̢͍͕i̦͍̪n̢̻͚g̺̠͜s͎͚͚.̡̝͇.̝͚͍.͇͚”_ Olaf sneared, _“Y̻̻̺o͍̠u̙͔͜.͉̪̪.̦͖.͚̻̻ E͕̘͚X͖̙̟P̺̪̻E̢̟͙C̫̫̝T̙͔͜ m̢̙e̻͖.̞̠͇.̢̘.̡̢̟ t̘͎o̼̝.̺͍̝.̢̼̞.̪͙ B͍͙̺E̢͓͔L͚͉̪I̡̢̦E̺͎V̞͖̞E̢̝͓.͍͎͖.̝̫͇.̡̢̪”_

As he spoke, his voice pierced their ears. Something else was in that voice. _Something else._

“It’s not gonna help.” Ruby whispered, “It’s gotten worse. Bastard let himself get corrupted. S’what he deserves.”

Beatrice sighed.

They knew that. They all knew that. But... seeing an old friend… you want to help them. But when they’re too far gone…

“She’s right.” Lemony said. Bertrand looked up at him.

“This bastard wanted to _touch_ our daughter.” The Snicket man continued. Beatrice clenched her teeth, glaring at him,

“ _Oh.”_ She hissed through her teeth, “ _I’d nearly forgotten.”_ Sarcasm graced her voice.

Olaf gave a terrible grin, _“A̢̻͉n̫̻͔ a̡̘͍c̞̘͜t̡͉̦.͉͔.̢̡͙.̦͔̦ o͓̟̼f͎̪̠ r͇͎̠e̢͕v̠̙͙e͚̻̻n͕͙̺g̘͉̻e̦̘̻.̦̝̦.̢͖͓.̢̼ f͕̟͜o͉͚͎r̢̻͖.̢̞͎.͎͎̠.̡͓͖ w̝͖̪h͉͔̺a̪̠̼t̻̼͎.̝͓͍.̪͎.͓͙̞ y̢͙͕o̢͍͕u̢͎͉'͙͉͜d̡͙͉ d͚̘͍o̫̝͕n͍̘e̡͖͖.͚͚͇.̢͙̫.͕̝̠”_

“Don’t listen to him.” Kira said, waving her lantern around. Orbs of light shot out, further illuminating the inside of the barrier. Olaf shrieked, shrinking away from the sudden light.

From behind them, the sound of a door unlocking and bursting open was heard, and the group whirled around.

“OH THANK _GOD.”_ Ruby shouted, “TOOK you guys long enough!”

Kathrine squinted at the _kemonomimi,_ “Shut it, wolfy. Now come on,” The moth faerie ordered, “We need to get you guys to safety - your kids are waiting for you.”

Beatrice and Bertrand’s faces rose in surprise, and they quickly ran to the door, past Eliza, who waved sleepily at them.

Lemony swallowed, staring at the door.

“ _GET A MOVE ON, LEMONS MAN, WE AIN’T GOT ALL DAY!”_ Ruby called out from behind him, then shoving him forward. Eliza quickly grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him through the doorway, Ruby following quickly behind.

Kira stared at Olaf.

 _“R͖̺͖u̼͎̦n̝̝͚ a͔͎̠l͔̫̦l͍̼͔ y̠̠̻o̙̞̘u͕̠̠ w͚̙a͕̪̼n͓̺̪t͔̘͎.̦͎͙.̺̝.̫͉̠ I̺̘ w͎͓͉i̼̼͚l̢͓͜l̞̺͕ a̟̟͇l̠̝̙w̡͓̟a̢̢͓y͖̺͜s̡̟͓ f̝̻͖i̙͕n̡͉̞d͖͙͔ y̡̺̻o͓͔͜u̫̟͚.̙̙͖.͕̘.̡͎͇ I̢̪̻ c̪̻͖a͕͖͜n̡̺͖ ș̡̢m̺͙̪e̡̠͔l͖̘̼l̻̞ y̫͔͇o̫̻̦u̫͓̝.̢͙͎.̡̼͕.̝̙͜ y̫̼̦o̘͕͎u͔̟͓ d̼̼̫r̡̪e̢̙͜a̡͙̺m̢̟̼ w̦̟e̦͚̠a̢̫̺v̝̼͓e̢͉r̙͇͖ș̝̙.̡͍͜.̡̟̦.͇̺̻”_ The creature’s voice dripped with venom.

“Do us a favor then,” The elven woman replied, walking to the door,

_“Don’t run next the time we’ve cornered you.”_

The door slammed shut, disappearing. The barrier fell, and the orbs of light faded.

Olaf let out an agonized, angry screech.

* * *

The early morning was quiet, save for the wind chimes that dangled from the two cottage’s front porches, and the gentle winds slipping past the grasses and gardens. Lemony, Beatrice, and Bertrand gawked at their surroundings as Ruby collapsed onto the soft ground below, letting out a loud groan of relief.

“Apologies for the fright - I should have known this would have been harder than usual.” Kira bowed to them. Eliza and Kathrine were arguing with each other, and Ruby began to roll around in the grasses.

“What… _is_ this place..?” Bertrand whispered, staring at the pastel wonderland that graced his eyes.

“Welcome to the Dreamscape. You shall be living here with your friends and children from now on.” Kira answered, “Now, I must go to see Lady Arisa. Everything will be explained in due time.”

Beatrice grabbed onto Lemony’s hand,

“We need to find Jacquelyn. Our children are here. Our friends? She said our friends were here-” She babbled, staring into his eyes with confused excitement. Lemony gave her an exasperated look, “Slow down, Beatrice, _please-”_

“Momma? Daddy? ...P-papa?” A shakey, gentle voice came. _Violet._

Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony turned toward Arisa’s cottage to see Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. Violet looked as if she had seen a ghost. Tears then began to spring from her eyes.

Beatrice called out first, running toward her dear children. The kids took off as well. Violet collided with her mother, a burst of glittering stardust twinkling around them. The woman wrapped her poor daughter up in her arms. Bertrand ran, falling to his knees, Klaus jumping into his father’s arms. Sunny toddled as quickly as she could, trying not to fall. The five eventually fell into a massive group hug, crying tears of joy and relief. They were so proud of their children. They were so happy their parents were safe. They were all so _glad_ to be together once again.

Lemony leaned down, wrapping his arms gently around Beatrice and Bertrand,

“I’m sorry we couldn’t come sooner.”

Klaus looked up, wiping an eye with one hand, “Wh-what do you mean..?”

Bertrand exhaled heavily through his nose,

“We _tried_ to get to you. On our _lives_ , we _swear_ we tried.”

“You were _supposed_ to go to Monty’s, but,” Beatrice sobbed. Lemony glowered,

“Olaf slid his way in - the _bastard.”_

“He’s changed.” Bertrand let out, terrified, “He’s changed - unhinged! And…”

Violet stared at her father, “So you’ve seen him.”

“He’s not… he’s… that wasn’t Olaf anymore.” Beatrice whispered, “He was taken by those… those _shadows-”_

“ _The Shadows…”_ Klaus hissed, “They’re going to use him against us. Him and whoever else they can get their damned hands on…”

“End our world..!” Sunny cried out.

 _“It’s fine._ It’s all fine. We’re together again and we’re here.” Beatrice reassured, “We’re _so_ proud of you children. You’ve been so _brave.”_

“We haven’t had a choice.” Violet choked out.

“We thought we’d _lost_ you.” Klaus sniffled.

“Forever.” Sunny said pathetically.

Lemony sighed. Bertrand stroked the youngest’s hair,

“You didn’t. _We’re right here.”_

* * *

“How did you survive?” Klaus asked, still not entirely believing their parents were sitting right in front of them. They’d all settled in Arisa’s cottage to calm down.

“We knew it was going to happen. That’s why we sent you to the beach. Lemony got both of us to safety once the blaze began.” Beatrice breathed.

“...Again, Montgomery was supposed to look after you until we could get back to you safely.” Bertrand said sorrowfully.

Kathrine hummed, “Well, at least you’re all in safe hands, now, huh?”

Lemony gave a confused hum.

“You will live in the city of Lumiette until you’ve properly settled in,” Kira said to the three adults, “Arisa will make a cottage like the Quagmires - we need to return to finding their parents-”

“-Allow us to help.” Beatrice said quickly, “We know those tunnels well - unfortunately.”

“No. You know not of the dangers of The Shadows.” Arisa said sternly, “And you’re mortals. They would corrupt you in an instant.”

“Then how do I-” Beatrice began-

“You become a dream weaver, clearly.” Kathrine huffed, “But that'll take time. Time that we don’t _have_ any more. The Shadows have gotten stronger. With every soul they freely corrupt, the stronger they get.”

Lunari sighed, “A-and f-from the looks o-of it… they already h-have o-other souls t-trapped besides O-Olaf’s. Those clouds were... _massive."_

“Pity.” Lilac whispered under her breath.

The Baudelaire parents and the Snicket man turned to see the three mirror Baudelaires. Bertrand blinked,

“Do we… know you?”

“No.” Nick said, then hesitating for a second, “Well. in theory, yes.”

Lilac rolled her eyes at her brother, “We’re mirrors of those three.” She said, motioning to the original Baudelaires that sat on the couch, silent. Klaus pushed his glasses up his nose, and Violet wrung at her hands.

They were still in shock.

Imagine your mentors going to try and find your friends’ parents… only to come back with your own. The ones who were _supposed_ to be _dead._

“...Odd.” Lemony said finally.

“Odd is certainly a word for this, I suppose.” Isadora said as she walked in with her brothers, “But not a surprise. When are we returning to our world?”

“Don’t rush them, Isa.” Duncan whispered to his sister. The Baudelaire parents and Lemony stared at their dear friends' children in surprise.

Violet suddenly shot up,

“No.” She said, determined, “It’s fine. We need to find your parents. You deserve to get them back, too.”

“...Thank you.” Isadora nodded, her eyes soft.

“Y’know what else is odd?” Quigley added,

_“Some weird stuff happened to us last night.”_

Arisa and Lunari blinked at them.

“Whaddayou mean, Quaggy boy?” Kathrine said, fluttering over to the triplets, semi-knowing.

“When we woke up… we each found some glimmering, magical looking stuff around us.” Quigley announced, “Isadora had a bunch of scrolls with musical notes and lyrics on 'em, Duncan had a bunch of journals, and I had a lotta cool maps!”

Isadora nodded, “At the foot of my bed, I found a glowing paper lantern.”

“A lantern…” Kira whispered.

Duncan hummed, “Quigley’s got this weird looking key-”

“A k-key?” Lunari asked quickly, rushing over to him, “Show i-it to m-me, y-young one.”

Quigley pulled a shining gilded key from his hoodie pocket, showing it to the draconic lyn. Her eyes glittered,

“Quigley, m-my sweet ch-child, you’ve b-been b-blessed with an ability like m-mine!” She said quickly, “And I-Isadora, y-you the same w-with an ability l-like K-Kira’s!”

“And what’s more,” Kira said, “Isadora can also use Lunari’s song ability, it seems.”

“Holy shit, _nice.”_ Quigley said, “So I can open doors to other worlds?”

“And I can track souls and shadows?” Isadora’s eyes grew wide. Kira and Lunari nodded, smiling.

“Oi, what do _I_ get?” Duncan asked, only a _little_ annoyed.

“Trial by fire, we’ll figure it out.” Nick said, “That’s how Violet got her staff.”

“Do we train or-” Isadora asked-

Arisa shook her head,

“Your abilities come naturally to you - this happens with all dream weavers.” She explained, “Your powers are linked to your soul and your emotions - your dreams and your wishes. Who you are as a person shines through your magic.”

Klaus cleared his throat,

“More or less.” He agreed.

“Nick is a hardass so he’s got cool shiny rocks.” Violet grinned. Nick shot her a look,

“I’m gonna _obliterate_ you, shithead.”

“Try me, bitch.”

Bertrand hummed, “So, these three have become new siblings for you, I assume.”

“ _More or less.”_ Nick mocked his brother. Klaus threw a small cloudy pillow in his direction, but the researcher batted it away.

Beatrice smiled gently.

“Well.” Lilac said loudly, “I guess we should get back on the road as soon as we’re all ready?”

“I’m going back to bed for a bit.” Nick yawned, “Call me when breakfast is ready.”

“Oh, word.” Violet turned, “I’m exhausted after all that.”

She stopped, and looked back at her parents,

_“...I’m happy you’re ok.”_

Lemony smiled at her,

"That was was a _very_ confusing conversation, by the by."

Violet giggled, "You'll get used to it."

* * *

A pale woman with black cat-eye glasses made her way down the graying hallways of Prufrock Preparatory school. Carefully making her way around the moving groups of children, she carried a stack of books.

Since the restrictions were set in place on the library by Vice Principal Nero, she had a lot more free time on her hands for organization and tutoring other kids. She enjoyed taking care of these children. They seemed… sad, however. Empty. It was odd. She didn’t remember them being like this.

She passed by Nero’s office when she heard a crashing noise come from inside, and a girl’s shrill scream.

Olivia quickly dropped the books, running to the door, then banging her fist onto it.

 _“Who DARES interrupt me!?”_ The man shouted before swinging the door open. His face fell from anger to disgusted annoyance,

“Oh. It’s just you. I won’t extend library hours. Good day.”

She put her foot in the door before he could close it, and peered inside.

_Carmelita Spats._

She sat up against the wall on the messy, dirty floor, shivering, looking terrified. Olivia’s eyes widened,

“ _Nero-”_

“I can have you fired, Caliban.” Nero spat, “Do _not_ interfere in my job-”

Olivia cleared her throat, trying to find a way to pull the poor girl away from the vile man,

“I knew I would find her here - She’s been… falling behind in her social studies work. Her tutoring starts now.”

“I’ll cancel that.” Nero sniffed.

“The teachers won’t be very happy with that - they’ll report it to the-” She said quickly. He grumbled, mocking the librarian under his breath. He then turned to the poor girl in dressed in pink, feigning sweetness,

“ _Carmelita,_ my darling girl, it is time for your _tutoring_.”

Carmelita immediately shot up, running past him as he opened the door. The girl hid behind Olivia, who glared at Nero.

He merely gave her a glare, slamming the door shut.

The librarian then turned to the red-headed girl, kneeling down gently,

“Are you alright, sweetie?”

_“Peachy.”_ The girl’s voice shook. She then turned on her heel, and clicked away.

Olivia breathed a heavy sigh.

She hated this place.

* * *

“With me, you three. As said, you shall be staying in the city of Lumiette for the time being.” Kira said, leading Beatrice, Bertand, and Lemony away from a portal door as it shimmered away.

“We’ll take the more scenic route another time - dragon riding or somesuch.” The elven woman rambled, “Anyhow, as I had said, you already have some friends here. Larry is working at a sweet little bakery near the loft complex we’ve found for you.”

“Larry!” Bertrand chirped happily, “He’s safe!” He said, looking at his wife. Beatrice smiled.

Kira nodded, “Monty, Josephine, and Georgina are in the healing hall. They’re doing fine.”

“Oh, God, what happened to them?” Lemony asked hastily.

Beatrice swallowed, _“Georgina?”_

“You can visit them when you’re ready. It’s best if you ask them yourselves. Hear of your children’s good work.” Kira smiled.

She lead them into a flora-covered building. A sleepy fae man gave them the keys to their loft (Which were little shiny stones.), and Kira went to bid them farewell, but-

“Where is Jacquelyn?” Lemony asked quickly. Kira’s eyes glimmered knowingly,

“She might be at Lady Arisa’s cottage, most likely.” The elven woman answered, “She is still coming to grips with many things.”

Lemony swallowed.

“You might want to pay her a visit - if you have the time.” Kira hummed, "I'll return in a while to see to you."

With that, she bid them farewell. Lemony blinked at her, then felt Bertrand place a hand on his shoulder,

“Isn’t this… none of this can be real, right?” The spectacled man asked. Beatrice giggled as they entered a magical-looking lift.

“...I suppose it’s called the _Dreamscape_ for a reason, hm?” Lemony replied. He would speak with Jacquelyn… soon. Perhaps.

Beatrice tittered, “Do you want me to pinch you, dear?”

“It might help.”

She gave him a hard pinch in the arm. He yelped,

“Not _that_ hard, you insane woman!”

Lemony laughed. He missed this.

Maybe he could be happy again.

The three made their way down the comfy, dream-like halls, looking for their loft door. The keystones glimmered once they found their door - a glimmering insignia of a moon and three stars appeared, glittering - they heard a click. The door opened.

Inside was a comfortably furnished loft. It was a pleasant place, and it felt sweet.

“How cute.” Beatrice hummed, “And pastel. And flowery. Like all other things in this world.”

“We might as well get used to it.” Bertrand joked. They stepped through the door, Lemony closing it behind them.

This world was… so much more _different_ than their own. It was… such a contrast between the graying sadness they’d become so accustomed to.

The world their children would have grown and lived in. They felt some guilt.

Then some relief.

It didn’t end up that way. Good.

“...I’d much rather have the kids grow up in a dreamy place like this than… well. Hm.” Beatrice sighed, flopping down on a cushy couch.

Lemony examined the kitchen, “Magic is real, and I’m hoping I’m not going batty.”

“Bea pinched me - _quite hard,_ might I add - this is real, certainly so.” Bertrand snorted. Lemony laughed, “I’m sure I’ll… somehow get used to it.”

“I already am.” Beatrice smiled warmly, sinking into the couch.

Bertrand chuckled, “Evidently.”

Bertrand wandered up the open stairs to the bedroom above, and Lemony began to look for items to make coffee.

They all took this time to try and settle somehow. In silence.

Beatrice broke the quiet air,

“We should go see the others. I’m sure some of them would be overjoyed to see that we’ve all up and lived.”

Lemony froze. Bertrand looked over the railing from the upper level,

“I suppose. We… don’t exactly have anything better to do.”

“Perhaps we should eat something, first-” Lemony said quickly. Beatrice gasped happily, “Larry works at a bakery, now! I saw it on our way here - let’s do that!”

Bertrand grinned, “Oh, yes! Of course!”

Lemony gave a small sigh of relief. He wouldn’t mind seeing Larry. Or Monty or Josephine. But Georgina… and Jacquelyn.

Those two… he was a tad worried about.

Nevertheless,

They had to move on.

It was time.

He followed his two lovers out of their temporary loft, and the door shut and locked behind them.


	20. Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little love goes a long way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> 

As Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony walked down the cobblestone pathways of Lumiette, they attempted to fully take in their surroundings.

This section of Lumiette was closer to the Tree of Infinity - a massive waterfall fell from the gigantic tree’s canopy above, splashing into a lake surrounded by a park nearby. The tall white-stone buildings were covered in glittering verdant vines and gorgeous blooms. Various tall trees’ limbs stretched out, creating a natural cover over the walkways with soft pink, purple, and white leaves. The glimmering, clear waterways were dotted with pink and white petals and shimmering water lilies. An occasional wooden gondola floated by, various magical beings sitting within, going on about daily life.

Many of the other beings around them were going about their day as well. Elves, other _kemonomimi,_ faeries of various sizes, draconic or feline or canine - all sorts of beings lived here. Whether dream weaver or simply civilians living in a place of safety and happiness.

“This… this place is _incredible.”_ Bertrand whispered as they walked. A few small children giggled together, running past them. Beatrice smiled warmly,

“I hope the others are doing well.”

The three eventually made it to the bakery Larry worked at - _La Rêverie._

“Daydream. French.” Lemony spoke, looking up at the sweet looking sign. An arch of flowers surrounded the shop’s door, and a large window showcased a plethora of delicious looking sweets.

They entered, a cute little bell ringing above them,

“Welcome to La Rêverie! I’ll be with you in _just_ a moment.” A gentle voice came. Beatrice smiled. They knew that voice well.

The short, skinny man came out from the back, then looked at them with surprise. He nearly dropped a tray of fresh donuts he was carrying,

“... _Beatrice..? B-Bertrand... “_ He gasped, slowly placing the tray on the counter, “ _Lemony..!”_

“It’s wonderful to see you too, Larry.” Beatrice giggled.

Larry nearly burst into tears, covering his mouth, “ _YOU’RE ALIVE-!”_

* * *

They talked for a couple of hours over some coffee cake and midnight rose tea. The three explained what had happened. Larry confided in them and filled them in on what had happened with him. He then gushed about how wonderful the Dreamscape was - Lumiette was a pleasant little city. Always bustling. Apparently the Fall Equinox Celebration had ended a while ago, so everyone was beginning to prepare for the Winter Moon Celebration.

“It’s _months_ away, but these seasonal change celebrations last an entire two weeks!” Larry grinned, “I can’t wait to see what everything looks like with snow! I’ve heard the snow is a beautiful white-ish blue, and is _so_ soft!”

“So it’s… _fall_ right now?” Lemony asked, “I couldn’t tell. It… always looks like… _spring_ here.”

Bertrand snorted. Larry giggled, “I’ve been told there are some… _slight_ differences with other seasons - but winter is the most different out of all of them.”

Beatrice smiled pleasantly at him, “I can’t wait to see, then!”

They chatted idly for a while more until their food was finished, and they bid the man farewell.

“Monty and Josephine are doing wonderfully, by the way!” Larry called from the doorway, “They’ll be so happy to see you!“

Lemony swallowed nervously.

The three made their way to the healing hall - it was at the base of the Tree of Infinity’s massive trunk. Lemony stood anxiously nearby as Bertrand started to walk inside. Beatrice grabbed onto his hand,

“...It’ll be fine…” She said, her soft voice shaky.

_Please let it be fine…_

As they entered the massive doors, a plethora of healer dream weavers were moving about in the soft blue, green, and white hall. Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony made their way through to the front desk. A sweet looking faun was typing away at a translucent screen.

“Ah, excuse us,” Beatrice said, “We’re here to see some friends of ours?”

The faun glanced at them,

“The Baudelaires and Snicket, I presume - here are their room numbers. Please be kind and quiet in the halls.” They said, handing the adults a small device similar to the faun’s larger screen, “Have a pleasant day. Blessings.”

“Th-thank you.” Beatrice said, gently taking the little device with the three room numbers on it, “Ah, blessings to you as well.”

The faun only nodded.

Bertrand blinked at her as they turned, “I suppose one of those women back at the cottage let them know we were coming?”

“Kira, possibly.” Lemony whispered. Beatrice nodded to the side, looking at the numbers on the small, semi-transparent device.

“I’m worried about Georgina.” Lemony blurted out, “Surely, she’s angry.”

“We can’t worry about that. We need to mend bridges.” Bertrand hushed him.

Beatrice sighed,

“We just… we just need to be honest.”

Lemony gulped as they entered a crystal-like lift.

* * *

First they met with Monty. As soon as they entered his room, right there and then, he began to cry in disbelief. He told them about what had happened - his arm would be scarred from now on. He didn’t mind, really. Soon, he’ll be studying dragons in the Valley of Dragons! What a simple name, honestly, he said, but it was straight to the point. Gustav had found a pleasant little cottage in a small village, there.

Lemony asked if Jacquelyn had visited, yet. Monty said no. She hadn’t even visited her close friend, Gustav as of yet. Kira had come to tell them that Jacquelyn was here - she’s a dream weaver! How odd is that!

Josephine mostly had the same reaction. When they entered her room, she was being aided on walking with her new magical leg by a few glowing sprites. The glittering leg was a pale purple.

Beatrice covered her mouth in horror as Josephine told her tale,

“But - but-! This has taught me to be _fierce_ and _formidable_ again!” She said, “I’ll become a dream weaver - like Jacquelyn! And the children! We must have _bravery_ in the face of these _literal_ dark times - those blasted Shadows are spreading! _We need to save our friends!”_

Beatrice fervently agreed, Lemony looking on in worry.

“...You’d be willing to _give up_ your _mortality?”_ The Snicket man asked her. Josephine laughed,

“All for the sake of aiding other souls - of course! Obviously the other dream weavers told you about that-”

“They did. Somewhat.” Bertrand said, “Our children aren’t… _human_ any longer.”

Josephine stopped and blinked,

“Well, no. And Jacquelyn apparently hasn’t been for quite some time.”

Bertrand sighed.

_Right. Of course._

Beatrice looked down at her own hands.

_That was their new normal. This was all… it was normal to their children._

The real problem was… Georgina. Georgina Orwell, the woman Beatrice had forbidden from seeing their children because of her wicked schemes - the woman wanted to destroy VFD from the inside out after hearing what had happened on the opera night. She’d gone nearly insane with her experiments in hypnotism.

Her only saving grace were a group of children. The same group of children that Beatrice had told her to stay away from.

Beatrice’s shaky hand gripped the doorknob to the optometrist’s room. She glanced at her two lovers - Betrand nodded gently to her. Lemony sighed heavily.

_Click_

The room was dim - a couple of crystal lamps lit the area near the hospital bed. The woman they’d come to see was sitting up weakly, looking over a scroll.

“...I knew you’d come.” She said feebly. Beatrice stopped in her tracks as the heavy door shut behind them,

“ _G-Georgina…”_

She looked… sad, to say the least. Somewhat determined. Something had changed in her since the elder Baudelaires last visited her.

“I’m not upset with you.” The woman said, “There wouldn’t be any use in such resentment any more.”

Beatrice felt… _some_ sort of relief.

Georgina’s eyes glanced up at the three,

“There’s a real threat. A threat that’s endangering all of the friends we have left.”

Bertrand walked over to her,

“I’m… we’re so _sorry_ , Georgina-”

“I’m aware.” She interrupted, “I understand why you’ve kept me away for all those years. I went off the deep end. I know. For all the wrong reasons.”

She began to roll up the scroll,

“Now is the time for recovery.”

Lemony smiled gently at her.

She sighed,

“Now is the time for change.”

Beatrice felt something spark inside her. She only nodded at the woman.

“The remaining… the last of us… we’ll all be together, soon.” Bertrand said softly, placing a soothing hand on Georgina’s shoulder. She looked up at him,

_“I hope to God you’re right, Baudelaire.”_

* * *

As the three exited the healing hall, Beatrice gazed up at the Tree of Infinity, up, up, up at the flourishing canopy above, the plethora of massive waterfalls falling down. The two men stopped beside her, Bertrand glancing up,

“Love… are you doing alright?” He asked his wife. Beatrice blinked, then looking to the both of them,

“I’m going to become a dream weaver.”

Lemony nearly _lost_ it - 

“Beatrice, _no._ Absolutely _not-”_

“Lemony-” The woman tried-

“Beatrice - did you not hear? Not _see?_ Have you _not_ seen?” He said desperately. Bertrand grabbed onto his arm. Beatrice was a stubborn woman. She always had been. Ever since they’d both met her in their early days.

“I’ve heard it. I’ve seen it.” She said sternly,

_“Something is calling out to me, Lemony.”_

Bertrand swallowed. Lemony only stared at her.

 _“...This is something that I need to do.”_ She finished.

* * *

In the back of the Prufrock library was the librarian’s office, and this was where Olivia ended up spending most of her days in.

She threw the door open in a tired huff one day, chucking her shoulder bag onto the floor beside a stack of books, and closed the door behind her.

The school was starting to get grayer and grayer, it seemed. The children she tutored barely replied to her. They were doing well _academically_ , yes, but they rarely ever… _talked._

It was odd.

It was as if they were void of any emotion or… or _being._

_Something wasn’t right._

_As if this world was… falling apart?_

She squeezed her eyes shut, throwing herself into her office chair-

When something glimmered from behind her eyelids.

Olivia’s eyes snapped open, looking at an odd glow coming from her top desk drawer. She blinked at it. Did she leave something on in there? Like a flashlight?

She didn’t even _have_ a flashlight, _what-_

Her hand reached for the handle, pulling it open slowly - 

Inside,

There lay a shimmering, glittering blue stone. The woman squinted at it for a moment before picking it up,

Turning it over in her fingers.

As she did this, it let out a few gentle chimes - a distant melody. A melody she’d never heard before, but, somehow…

_From another world…_

It was warm in her hand… a calming warmth… soft and reassuring.

_O l i v i a . . ._

The librarian jumped fearfully in her seat, clutching the stone close to her chest,

“Wh-who-? Who was that - I-?”

_W h a t a l o v e l y n a m e . . ._

Olivia opened her hand, staring at the stone.

_Y o u n e e d n ‘ t b e a f r a i d ._

“Why do I feel fear, then. Are you inside my head? I-”

_T h e re i s a d a n g e r w i t h i n t h i s w o r l d…_

Olivia’s breathing was shaky,

“Is that why the children are so… absent..?”

_T h e S h a d o w s . . ._

Olivia swallowed,

“...I don’t know who you are, or… anything, really, but…”

The woman held the stone close to her heart,

“Tell me… _tell me everything.”_

* * *

Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony waited within their loft for Kira’s arrival. Beatrice said she would meet with Arisa about becoming a dream weaver, then looked directly at Lemony and told him he needed to talk to Jacquelyn, whether he liked it or not.

The man tried to argue with the stubborn woman, but she stood her ground.

It was time.

Kira graced their doorway not long after. She seemed a little tired.

“My Lady, you really must sleep,” Bertrand said gently, to which Kira waved him off,

“The time for dreams is within the waking world, currently. I shall rest once I am able to. Soon enough.”

Lemony raised his eyebrows at her.

Kira sighed, “Let’s make haste - Beatrice, I know you have important business. Lemony, someone is waiting for you.”

Beatrice blinked at her,

“How-?”

“A glimmer of hope calls out to others like us.” The elven woman responded. Lemony stared at her,

“Jacquelyn..?”

“She is waiting in the fields of the Iridescent Plains.” Kira replied, “Let’s be off, then.”

The three only shared glances between each other.

* * *

“Kira, you really need to get some sleep.” Arisa warned the elven woman as she walked in with the Baudelaire parents, “You know how weird your speech patterns get when you haven’t slept in a hot minute.”

“I am well aware, my Lady.” Kira sighed, fighting back a yawn, “Once this is done, I will sleep. Cease your worries.”

Arisa snorted, shaking her head.

She then looked to Beatrice and Bertrand,

“Make yourselves at home, eh?”

Once they were all settled, Kathrine fluttered in from the kitchen and settled on Arisa’s shoulder.

The moth faerie looked directly at Beatrice,

“So - you wanna be a dream weaver, yeah?”

Beatrice only nodded.

“Bold. I like that. Y’stare death _right_ in the face and suddenly you wanna keep doin’ it. _Nice.”_

“Kathrine.” Kira said tiredly.

“No,” Arisa glanced at the elven woman, “She’s right. It’s… brave… What made you want this..?”

Beatrice’s eyes flicked from Arisa to Kira and back,

“I… I felt something.”

“As many do.” Kira yawned.

“Like a calling?” Arisa asked closely.

“Like a… like- like a _spark.”_ Beatrice attempted.

Kathrine shrugged, “Makes sense.”

“A call, maybe?” Kira said, resting her elbow on the arm of the couch, her head on her hand.

Arisa’s eyes glittered, _“Precisely.”_

“Get this woman to the Palace of Benevolence, then!” Ordered Kathrine. Arisa nodded,

“You’re an adult - it’ll be a tad different than the children - but still all the same nonetheless.”

“The Palace of Benevolence?” Bertrand asked. Kira nodded, half asleep.

Arisa hummed, “Many things go on within the palace - including teaching older beings about the ways of the dream weaver. You’ll be just fine.”

Beatrice blinked.

_Oh._

_So this is really happening to me._

“D’you think that Monty guy’s gonna be a dream weaver, too?” Kathrine piped up.

Arisa giggled, “He’ll be working with dragons - I think that’s just a gimmie.”

“ _Epic.”_ Kathrine whispered.

Kira was conked out by now, and Arisa sighed, “Well, let’s get moving, then. I’ve gotta keep working on the new Baudelaire cottage set up, anyhow.”

Beatrice gazed at Arisa, her eyes brimming with tears,

_“Thank you.”_

The bunny woman smiled warmly,

“We’re happy to have you, Lady Beatrice.”

* * *

Not long after, Lemony excused himself to go and speak with a certain woman on the vast, radiant expanse that was the Iridescent Plains. He walked for what seemed like forever, feeling the gentle winds whip around him. The uncertain man surveyed the land around him -

It was a soft and beautiful landscape, filled with gorgeous pastel colors of all kinds. The seagreen grasses, the plethora of glittering blooms. The various small creatures - butterflies, dragonflies, and the like - flitted around from blossom to blossom. Celestial bodies rested quaintly in the sky above, which was dotted with the usual wispy, cotton candy-like creme clouds, stars shimmering brilliantly.

Lemony still didn’t believe any of this was real.

Well. Somewhat.

He didn’t know how to explain it.

For once… words were… beyond him.

He was lost in thought, staring off, until he heard the sound of a chattering bird.

He snapped out of his trance to see the glittering woman bathed in burgundy that he had come to speak with, her phoenix standing beside her.

She looked at him with sorrowful eyes, trying to fight back tears,

“...Snicket.”

Lemony swallowed, staring at her in awe. He’d almost forgotten. Somehow. And there she was. Right in front of him.

He inhaled slowly, nodding his head once,

“...Scieszka” Lemony replied.

They stood there for a while. Almost worlds apart. Though they were in the same one. Somehow.

 _“I’m sorry.”_ Jacquelyn said, trying not to sob.

Lemony stared at her, confused,

“For- for what?”

She looked away. Lemony furrowed his brows,

“ _I_ should be the one who’s sorry, Jacquelyn, I-” He motioned. Jacquelyn waved him off,

“It was _my_ job to keep it from happening. If I had only interfered in a more _direct_ way- could have helped-!” The auburn-haired woman began to weep, her hands clenched in fists at her sides, “I could have kept this all from _happening! Zenith-!”_ Jacquelyn’s eyes widened, then she squeezed them shut, crying out, “ _Z-Zenith-!”_

Lemony gasped, then running over to her, catching the poor, sorrowed woman in his arms as she fell to her knees. He held her close,

“Jacquelyn- you- _you’re a dear friend to me,”_ He whispered to her as she sniveled, “You- _we_ were young. We didn’t know- there was nothing we could _do-”_

She knew that. She knew that and it was true but it still hurt her. It still hurt him. All of this was bound to happen whether or not she or he or _any_ of the others had tried to interfere or not. All it did was…

“...We managed to help some people, though.” Lemony said gently. Jacquelyn looked up at him.

“...We… we’ve managed to get some to see some things that they… they couldn’t before.” The Snicket man said.

Jacquelyn wiped one of her eyes with the bottom-palm of her hand, then looking up to him,

“The others are still out there, Lemony.” She said hoarsely, her tears slowly ceasing, _“We need to save them.”_

Lemony nodded, then going to speak-

“The children-” Jacquelyn said, “Th-the kids. Those kids. They have what it takes. The First Dreamers have seen them. They will continue to see to them.”

Lemony blinked at her, “I’m still not quite clear on what _exactly_ that means..?”

Jacquelyn laughed slightly at the man,

“It _means_ they will be in good hands, Snicket.”

Lemony sighed heavily.

_I hope you’re right._


	21. Aether

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires are finally able to dawn their new attire... along with some shiny new bonuses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

As the Baudelaire parents and the Snicket man met with their old friends, the mirror Baudelaires thought it best to aid the Quagmires in finding their new weapons.

“And _how_ are we going to do such a thing?” Klaus asked as they walked through the Iridescent Plains. Lilac hummed, “The Celestial Springs has done such before.” She said, pointing a thumb back at Violet, clearly talking about the girl’s staff. Violet cornered her eyes.

Isadora drew in a sharp breath at the place mentioned,

“Do we… _have_ to go back there?”

“Yes.” Lilac said simply.

“We almost _drowned-”_ Isadora began-

“Th-that’s normal!” Klaus interrupted suddenly, “We thought _we_ were gonna drown, too, but it was just all part of it-!”

 _“Eh_ -xactly.” Violet chirped, “You’ll just dump whatever you’ve got into the water and see what happens. Simple.”

Quigley looked at the key he gripped in his hand,

“So just… put this in that water?”

“Basically.” Nick sighed. Sunny and Solitude ran around in the grass and flowers in front of them every which way, giggling, holding their arms out at their sides.

The shimmering celestial bodies glittered in the sky all around them in the seemingly infinite plain of flora. Their dragons flew around high above in the clouds, watching over them. It was a little past noon. The group made their way to the Sunshimmer Wood, where the Celestial Springs lay in wait.

As they walked on the forest path, the daylight shimmered through the canopy, creating a beautiful, glittering sight. Violet shifted closer to Quigley. She slowly placed her hand in his, looking away and blushing as the cartographer shifted his gaze from the beautiful purple petals on a nearby bush to the girl walking beside him. He tightened his grip on Violet’s hand, causing the inventor’s heart to pick up pace. Sunny grumbled quietly.

Duncan seemed a little nervous - Klaus had taken notice. The bookworm wrapped his arms around one of the journalist’s, looking at him carefully,

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

Duncan cleared his throat nervously at the sudden contact,

“Uh-uh- y-yeah! I… I hope it goes well-” The boy took in a sharp intake of breath, glancing at Klaus, embarrassed.

Solitude and Sunny looked at each other with disgusted faces.

“Flirting again.” Solitude whispered to her mirror in a grossed-out voice. Sunny giggled in agreement.

Once they arrived at the Celestial Spring, Isadora and Quigley went up to the edge of the stone pool, looking into the crystal-clear water. The crescent moon at the bottom center was glimmering slightly.

Lilac walked up behind the two, “Just place your lantern and key into the water. The Spring’s magic should take care of the rest.” The mechanic said gently. Isadora looked down at the gilded paper lantern she’d been carrying carefully, and Quigley pulled the ornate key from his pocket. The two triplets looked behind to Duncan, who only smiled and nodded to them.

They then looked back to the Spring before them. Isadora knelt down, carefully placing the lantern on the surface of the waters, and Quigley held out the key, dropping it into the pool with a small _plunk._

The Baudelaires watched with bated breath as they did this, and Duncan looked on somewhat sadly.

The water began to hum gently, large ripples forming around the items, and then it happened - 

The lantern and key were enveloped in the water, shining brightly, radiant and beautiful, causing some of them to shield their eyes.

The key and lantern seemed to disappear into two blindingly bright orbs of white light… and between the two…

A third orb of light appeared.

The orbs of light then flew to each of the Quagmire children, flinging water and stardust everywhere.

Isadora caught her’s,

Quigley his,

And Duncan… his.

And they, too, began to gleam with bright light - but this time in their own colors.

The Baudelaires looked on with wide-eyed wonder as this happened. The mirror Baudelaires gawked at the sight - they hadn’t seen such a thing… they were never able to.

Then, as the brightness faded, the Quagmires glimmered with new outfits, clutching new weapons.

Isadora held a long, black staff with her lantern chained carefully to it. Quigley now wielded a beautiful silver and gold keyblade, and Duncan-

He held a glittering blade, with a few more sheathed on his person.

The Quagmires gaped at their new weapons, and Lilac began to smile, fighting back tears. Nick smirked, _hmph_ ing to himself before crossing his arms. Solitude and Sunny grabbed each other’s hands, staring in awe.

Violet and Klaus’s faces flushed brightly.

Isadora then began to chuckle, then giggle, then bust out with happy laughter, her brothers joining in with her. Duncan swung around his new blade with feverish excitement, creating a brilliant trail of stardust.

“You guys look _incredible!”_ Lilac said, trying to keep her sobs back, “That daft _bastard_ won’t stand a chance against us, now!”

Nick scoffed, “We still need to remain vigilant, however. Don’t be ignorant.”

Lilac hushed him, “Please, we need to fight the negativity with positive thoughts, movements, and words. _This time,_ Nick-” She said, grabbing onto his arms, “ _This time we’ll win.”_

The researcher looked at his sister with worried eyes as the others jumped around in excitement, chattering happily, “I… I hope you’re right, Lilac.”

Lilac smiled gently at him. The boy swallowed,

“ _I hope to God you’re right.”_

* * *

The children returned, and Arisa explained what the adults had spoken about - 

“M-mom - you want to be a _dream weaver?”_ Violet asked, half worried and half ecstatic. Lemony was mumbling something to Bertrand, who sighed at him. Beatrice nodded carefully,

“Auntie Jo wants to, as well. Perhaps even Monty, right, dears?” She explained, then looked to her husbands.

Lemony gave her a tired look, and Betrand nodded, half smiling.

“M-mom-” Klaus said, letting go of Duncan’s hand, walking over to Beatrice, “Are you… are you sure you want to do this..?”

“I know what it entails, dearest.” She said sweetly, taking her son’s hand, “I’m ready to sacrifice anything for my children - and for my friends.” She smiled. Violet cocked her head gently, giving her mother a loving look.

“Those I love are important to me - I’m sure you know this well.” Beatrice said softly. Klaus only nodded, swallowing heavily. Violet stepped forward,

“We’d be happy to have you help us, mom, but, like-” She inhaled deeply,

“ _You just got back,_ and, well, we… we don’t want-”

“Lose you.” Sunny said simply. Violet nodded, trying not to become teary-eyed,

“We don’t want to _lose you again.”_

Beatrice sighed,

“I don’t think we’ll be needing to return with you to our world. Don’t worry, loves.” Their mother gave them a comforting smile.

They missed that smile. Violet’s face softened.

Lilac, Nick, and Solitude sat on the stairs. Lilac placed a soft hand on her brother’s shoulder, her head down on her knees. Nick only exhaled quickly through his nose. Solitude watched their mirror counterparts carefully… sadly…

“Well! You guys should go ‘n’ get some rest. ‘Lots to do tomorrow - gotta prepare. Yadda yadda.” Arisa said, standing up and straightening out her dress. Klaus snorted, “Something like that.”

“Nice! Now then - the Baudelaire cottage should be ready by tomorrow - I’m finalizing the designs - what? I take my interior and exterior decor and design seriously! Don’t give me that look!” The bunny woman said, looking at Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony’s surprised faces.

Bertrand shook his head quickly, “Nono- It’s more of… so _soon?_ _Already?”_

“Honestly, what were you expecting, dad?” Violet asked, “This is _magic_ we’re dealing with now.”

“ _Dream_ magic.” Klaus corrected her. She squinted at him, “No shit, Sherlock.” The bookworm rose his shoulders and eyebrows in return to his sister’s sarcasm.

“Good to know.” Bertrand breathed, “I don’t know _when_ I’m going to get used to… _all of this.”_ The man motioned around.

“You will eventually.” Beatrice said, patting his cheek gently.

Lemony hummed, “Do I get a cheek pat, love?”

Beatrice gave him a look. Violet rolled her eyes. Sunny gagged.

“Hmmm… _perhaps.”_ The singer said, sticking out a pouty bottom lip. Lemony and Bertrand chuckled.

* * *

The mirror Baudelaires had retired to their own rooms not long after. Lilac was busy tinkering with her communication orb when a knock came at her door. Her eyes glanced at it,

“Hmm.” She hummed loudly.

“I need to speak with you.” Nick’s voice came. It sounded stern. She sighed,

“ _Entrer.”_ She mocked, the door clicking open, letting her younger brother inside. He quickly shut the door and made his way over to her desk,

“This may be different as to how it played out in our reality, but that doesn’t mean they’re entirely safe - you _know_ that, _right?”_

Lilac looked up at him,

“We need to have hope, Nick.”

“Fuck that - we need to contact Asira. Now.” He breathed. Lilac dropped her tools and stared at him,

“We won’t be able to. You know that.”

“She’s not dead, Lilac.”

“Did I say she was?”

Nick’s eyes turned furious,

“Riddle me _this, dear SISTER of mine,”_ He hissed, “Why the _fuck_ did we have to _lie_ to them?”

Lilac squinted at him,

“About what-?”

“ _That we could go back and forth as we PLEASED?”_ He nearly snarled, “You KNOW- you KNEW-”

“Because we can’t tell them our story. The mirror spell won’t let us.” Lilac said softly, trying to calm her brother. Nick scoffed.

“...Not until it’s over.” The mechanic croaked.

Nick clenched his jaw,

“ _What if by then OUR dreamscape is GONE? What if by then Asira is GONE!?”_ He hollered. Lilac winced,

“Nick.”

The boy had just now noticed the pain rippling through his body.

_Oh. Right. Fuck._

He tried to calm himself.

“...Don’t let your anger… your anxiety… don’t let it control you, Nick.” Lilac said, then going to hold his hand. Nick gave a _very_ heavy sigh,

“I want… I want to go home.”

“Nick…” Lilac gave him a sorrowful look.

The researcher looked down at the floor.

_What is there to go back to? Nothing is…_

The boy then inhaled and exhaled deeply, broke his hand from his sister’s, turned,

And left.

Lilac watched him as he swung the door open and closed, almost slamming it. She looked at her communicator orb.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t trying to find a way to contact their mentor - the mirror of Arisa. If she was still alive. If it was all…

She groaned, leaning back in her desk chair.

They had to help them. They had to see this through.

As if... it was all they had left.

* * *

Violet had wandered her way outside to the gazebo late that night. She sat on the white wooden floor, her head resting on the seat, staring up at the ceiling. Flowering vines dangled from above, wrapping their way down parts of the gazebo, swaying and rustling in the soft winds.

She blinked slowly, then closing her eyes, breathing slowly.

She opened a hand that lay at her side, and a glittering pink and white rose bloomed. She opened her eyes, gazing down at the blossom, moving her head _only_ slightly.

_And I can do things just like that, now can’t I?_

She gave a gentle hum.

_Like a magic trick, but with no illusion, and all reality._

She smirked at herself, raising the bloom upwards, surveying it. The sparkling stardust fell from its petals, landing on her. Some landed on her hair, her eyelashes, her cheeks, her lips-

She heard a nervous boy clear his throat,

“H-hey. Didn’t think you were a night flower.” Quigley said somewhat smoothly. Violet lifted her head to look at him. She chuckled,

“The correct term is _Nightbloom,_ sweetie.” She cooed at him. Quigley giggled, “Regardless - what’re you doing up?”

“What are _you_ doing up?” Violet combated. Quigley hummed, going to sit by her side,

“‘Couldn’t sleep.”

“Obviously.” Violet whispered, sitting up, holding the rose in her lap. Quigley laughed softly again, looking from the rose to her face. It glittered.

“...You’re… sparkling.” He whispered.

“Cute. _But_ not enough to-” She began sarcastically-

“No, you’ve got stardust on your face. From the rose.” Quigley snickered, “Dumbass.”

Violet blinked, her face flushed, “I- r-right.” She said, using the sleeve of her kimono robe to rub off the dust.

Quigley smirked, feeling confident,

“Though, even with _out_ the stardust… you still glitter like the celestial bodies in these skies.”

Violet’s breath caught in her throat, and her eyes snapped up to his face. His gazed into her’s, and she felt her face get hotter.

“Q-Quigley…”

The cartographer chuckled, reaching down to take the rose from her hands, getting closer and closer to her,

“You may not be an angel… but you sure look like one.” He flirted. Violet felt her heart beat faster and faster as he swept her hair back with one hand, placing the rose gently into her locks, behind her ear.

Their noses were almost touching. She wanted to move closer, but she was so… embarrassed? Nervous? What was going on? He was so cute!? What was she supposed to do?

_He’s getting closer - oh God, Vi, say SOMETHING, ANYTHING! Be cute! Be smooth! Be-!_

The boy moved closer to her, looking down at her lips. Her face was on fire. Her heart was beating _so fast._

Quigley then quickly redirected, and kissed her cheek and got up, making his way out of the gazebo. Violet shook her head quickly with bewilderment,

 _“Y-YOU!_ qUIGLEY QUAGMIRE-” Violet complained, heated, “ _What the hell was THAT!”_

Quigley laughed out loud, looking over his shoulder,

“A preview, Baudelaire.”

Violet only sat there, wanting, her own rose played against her. The petals glimmered far more brightly than they had before as she watched the boy walk away.

The inventor touched her cheek before looking down at her lap.

 _… I have a crush on him, don’t I?_ She thought,

 _Uh oh._ Violet thought finally, feeling her hot cheeks against the chilly night.


	22. Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The children's next mission begins, for better or for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video

Vice Principal Nero sat in his pigsty of an office, torturing his violin. There had been rumors going around of people disappearing, bright flashing lights, and horrible looking monsters among other things. He wanted none of it. In fact, he wanted all of that to stay _far away_ from his tiny empire. The greasy man had _no time_ for that _nonsense._ Besides, he was having to deal with some higher ups from V.F.D. constantly asking why the children at Prufrock had become so… _vacant._

Well, they were still brilliantly smart and ripe for the taking, he thought, so why worry about that?

A nervous knock came at the door.

The grimy vice principal's face morphed into a disgusting grin, looking at the door,

“Come in, my _dear Carmelita!”_

The door opened slightly, then it suddenly swung open, revealing a _very_ angry looking Olivia behind her. Nero’s face fell. He _glared_ at the librarian.

“Nero. Carmelita has told me what you’ve been doing to her.” Olivia’s voice was dark,

“And I think it’s time you paid the _price_ for that.”

Nero laughed loudly, standing up,

“And how are _you_ going to make me _pay,_ Miss Caliban?” He asked, giving her a mocking smile.

 _“H̫̘͕o̫͙̻w͙̙.͎̟͖.̺͙͙.̞̞͙ s͕͚p̢̺͉l̢͍̟e̡̠͚n̢͚d̙͉̼i̡̘͖d̘̦͚!̟͜”_ A twisted voice came from behind Nero, _“I̡̞̻ c̼͍͖a̘̞͇m̢͔̝e͖̟̪ a̫̪͜t̼͙ t̡͚h̢͓e̟̻̺.͙̞̘.͍̫.̺͕͜ p͖̙e̘̻͜r͔͉͙f̝̘e͖̦͍c̝̫̼t̺͍̠.͔͜.̼̟͕.͚͔̠ ț̡̫i͎͖m͎͚̻e͓͓͜.͙͔̦”_

The room suddenly grew cold as ice, it being consumed by dark, shadowy tendrils. They crawled across the floor, up the wall, to the ceiling, covering everything in sight. Olivia and Carmelita froze in horror. Nero whipped around, gritting his teeth,

_“WHAT SORT OF PRANK IS THIS!? I’LL HAVE YOU EXPEL-”_

_“T͚͚͉h̫̠e̦̠s̪͓e̢̞͜ n͖͖e̦̟͉g͓͓͜a̢̻͔t͉͇͓i͕̞̠v͍̦͜e̠̦̙ e̢̼͎m̫̙͇o̼͇̺t͔͇͔i̞͖̙o͉̙n͚̼͇ș͎.̼̙̙.͚̼̠.͙̝͇ h̼͖̦o̠͔w̺͎ d͎͕e̼͚̠l͚͖͎i̢͔̠c͙̦̘i̘̟͕o͖͇͍u̠̫̪s̠̘̙.̢͖͍.̡͔͚.͎͎”_

Olaf said as his horrible, corrupt form stepped out of a billowing cloud of shadows, which then fell to the floor, creating a sickly fog.

“Wh-who-!” Nero tried, but Olaf cut him off,

 _“W͙͙̟e̦͔̝'͍̪l̙̫͇l̢͖̦ b͍̞̘e̙̙̺ n̙͎̫e͎͔͕e̙̟d͇͖̠i̪̪̺n̪̻͚g̢̢̢.͖͍.͍͕͉.͉͔̦ y̡̠͍o͍̻̟u̢̠͍r̝̠̼ s͇͇o̙͎͇u͓͇͇l̞̝̺.͉̪̠.̼̙͕.̢͉̘”_ he droned, then a dark, bone-exposed hand shot out, grabbing onto Nero’s face,

Crushing his skull. His body then melted into a gorey, dark _goop_ like substance.

Carmelita screamed. Olaf’s attention turned to the red-head and the librarian.

 _“Y̦̠o̫͔͙u̝̺͜r̢̼ s͖̘͚o̺̟̟u͍̺͖l̞̙̝s͎̟͔.̡̝̠.̝̠͜.̫̪̺ a̻̦͜r̞̝̻e͚͎.͓̫̟.̢̢̻.̞͜ u͙̙̠ș̢̙e̝͍͔f̟͖͕u̦̘͖l̺̫͜.͔͙̫”_ The vile man smiled, stepping over to them, through the disgusting slime that Nero had become, which was forming into… _something._

Something… _bad._

_“I̘̦̘t͉͖͔ w̫͔͕i̝̺̺l̢͍̘l̦͖̝ t̙̟͔a̡͕͕k͚͍̦e͖͖.̦̼.̠̝͓.̘̘̺ a͓̦͜ w̻̝̙h͇͎͚i͚͕͙l̢̫͔e̢͜͜ t̘͍͖o̞͓͎.̼̻͎.̼̠͕.͓͙͜ b͔͍̦r̪͉͓e̟͕̘a̡͕͜k̡̫͕ y̡͜o̝̺̻u̢̢̼,͉̺̻ h͚̫̝o͖͙͎w̟͖͜e͔̺͕v̘̟͜e͙̝r̢̦͇.̢̝͍.̼͇̻.̼̞͓”_

Carmelita felt hot tears run down her cheeks.

“...Carmelita.” Olivia whispered. Carmelita made a worried noise in reply.

 _“Run.”_ Olivia said shakily.

Before they could move, a plethora of dark tendrils shot out from the darkness surrounding them, the room now pitch black,

Grabbing onto Carmelita, who screamed out in terror, yanking at them in a fury.

The tendrils then hit an invisible force around Olivia, reeling back, a flash of gentle blue light and stardust showing.

The librarian grit her teeth, then grabbing Carmelita into a tight hug, but she screamed, A searing pain tearing into her skin. She let go, falling backwards, the tendrils then pulling Carmelita down into the pitch blackness at their feet, disappearing from sight. Olivia yelled out desperately-

_R U N ! G O !_

“No - _NO! CARMELITA-!”_ Olivia cried out as the tendrils kept slamming into the invisible field around her. She glanced down at her arms and chest - 

The clothing was burnt through, the edges black - the skin underneath was scarred. She gasped, her eyes tearful, looking up at Olaf-

_Y O U R M O R T A L B O D Y C A N N O T T A K E T H E S H A D O W S !_

The kind voice inside Olivia’s head was now panicked and pained,

_R U N, O L I V I A ! C A R M E L I T A W I L L B E F I N E !_

“I d-doubt th-that…” Olivia shivered, then getting up on a surge of adrenaline, charging out of the office.

Olaf was enraged. _Where the FUCK did that MORTAL get dream weaver magic!?_

Olivia dashed down the hall, dark shadows following her quickly, overtaking the school, swallowing anything in its path.

The librarian almost tripped twice, not looking back - being too scared to. She skidded around corners, so many thoughts rushing through her mind. The voice was trying to calm her, telling her to get to her office in the library. She’d be safe there for the time being.

It was time, it told her. But they wished it wasn’t so soon.

Olivia burst through the doors of the library, her lungs burning - on fire. She dashed around desks and chairs, around towering bookcases,

And to her office door-

It was locked.

 _Shit, where are my KEYS!?_ Olivia thought in a panic, searching her pockets. She gripped the glimmering stone. The darkness drew ever closer to her, tears running down her face, her chest heaving, her sides hurting-

A distinct click was heard, and Olivia wasted no time in opening and slamming the door closed, collapsing onto the floor. The blue stone in her hand shimmered brightly, and the door did too, sealing the room off from The Shadows.

There was a loud _THUD_ against the door and some hellish screeching. Olivia covered her ears, rocking back and forth on the floor, eyes squeezed shut, sobbing,

_This can’t be happening this can’t be happening this can’t be happening-_

_O l i v i a ._

The librarian opened her eyes, then looked at the stone in her hand.

_I t is . . . t i m e ._

“T-time for what?” She whispered.

_I c a n g r a n t y o u t h e p o w e r I h a v e l e f t ._

“Wh-what… no, no, I-!” Olivia said desperately, “You said it _could_ kill me! We haven’t properly anchored any magic to my soul, yet-”

_I a m d o i n g s o a s w e s p e a k._

Olivia noticed the warmth filling her body. It was calming, but she still felt fearful.

_I a m s t i l l u n s u r e , e v e n s t i l l , h o w e v e r ._

Olivia shivered, taking in a deep breath,

“I need to save Carmelita.”

The voice was silent for a moment

“...Zenith?” Olivia asked, “Are you there?”

_Y e s , c h i l d ._

“Please.” Olivia whimpered, “Make me… _m-make me a dream weaver.”_

* * *

The next day, the elder Baudelaires and Quagmires gathered in Arisa’s library tower, Lunari pacing back and forth, Arisa quickly moving images across the massive translucent globe from inside.

“Why were we called here so urgently - what-?” Violet began. Kathrine huffed,

“Kira and Ruby had followed The Shadows to their next destination in an attempt to find your parents,” She said to the Quagmires, then looked to the rest,

“But instead… they found your next mission.”

Klaus blinked,

“Our next mission?”

Lunari nodded,

“A school b-by t-the name of P-Prufrock P-Prep has been o-overtaken by The Shadows - a g-girl has been c-captured. Th-they sensed d-dream weaver m-magic from inside.”

Lilac’s eyes grew wide,

“No - that’s not right - there aren’t any dream weavers in their world right now besides Kira and Ruby-”

“I thought the same.” Arisa said suddenly, “But we seemed to have missed something.”

“Missed something?” Isadora asked.

Arisa nodded, “Something important.”

Kathrine fluttered over to where the children stood,

“There are two - count ‘em, _two! -_ souls that need to be saved from that school-now-turned-dark-fortress.”

Quigley swallowed, “I’m guessing one of those souls is the girl that’s been captured..?”

“You’re a smart lil dude - yepperooni.” Kathrine crossed her arms, smiling.

Lunari walked over to them,

“Now th-that you have s-someone wh-who can open p-portal doors and t-track shadows and souls alike, y-you don’t need K-Kira and I.”

Violet looked fearfully at her,

“No, no- hold on, we _need_ you-!” The inventor said desperately.

Lunari gave the girl a gentle smile, then taking her hand into her’s,

“You have all th-the strength y-you n-need, little stars.” She whispered to them, smiling gently,

“T-together, you are s-strong. Alone, y-you are stronger th-than you realize.”

They looked at the draconic lyn with some slight confusion, save for Lilac and Nick.

“Y-you have th-the First Dreamers and the Grand Creator w-watching over you. T-trust in that.” Lunari placed a gentle hand on Violet’s cheek. The inventor leaned into it, looking a _little_ hopeful.

“...We’ll save them.” Isadora said finally, glancing at her lantern-staff, “We’ll find out what’s going on and we’ll defeat whatever hell-creature is in that school.”

Kathrine grinned,

_“That’s the spirit!”_

Arisa sighed, swiping the information away, then stepping out of the massive orb,

“Be safe, my children.”

They nodded to her.

“And… when you return - Baudelaires? Your home will be finished by then. For sure.” She smiled.

Klaus and Violet grinned at each other, and their mirrors smiled at her.

“Kira and Ruby are still following The Shadows, but that doesn’t mean Olaf isn’t hiding somewhere.” Kathrine sighed, “If you see him… you need to _run._ We don’t know the exact extent of his new powers, yet.”

Violet nodded.

“...And I’d rather not have any of you find that out.” The moth faerie finished.

* * *

The darkness was suffocating. Suffocating and painful, burning at their organs, playing games with their minds, pulling at their souls.

Mr. and Mrs. Quagmire - Frederick and Melanie - were held within a pocket of nightmares. Their worst ones. How long had they been trapped here? Where were their children? Were they safe?

Melanie sat huddled in the corner of a dilapidated, burnt down building, the air was _freezing._ She knew this place - Frederick did, too.

 _It’s not real. None of this was real._ They repeated to themselves over and over again. Frederick was always the one trying to look around for clues - how to get out of this hellscape. This.. this _prison._

They’d seen so much. _Too_ much.

The burnt bodies of their dear friends and their children. The burnt bodies of their _own_ children. _Their_ own dead bodies, burnt, or mangled, or…

It was horrifying at first. But then they became numb to it. It was mind-numbing. Frederick began to look frantically around for clues, trying to distract himself.

But every time he dug too deep… he saw worse things.

Melanie constantly tried to get him to stop. It was as if his meddling was making things _worse_ for them.

And now they were in another nightmare. It was like a cycle. Day by day. If you could even _call_ it that. They didn’t know when it began or ended. How long had they been here? In the nightmare?

“Give up.” Melanie called out hoarsely, “You’re going to put us in another terror, again.”

“We need to get back to the _real_ world, Melanie.” Frederick responded from somewhere far off, “We need to find a way _OUT.”_

“ _THERE’S NO WAY OUT.”_ Melanie screamed, her voice echoing through the smouldering remains of a once beautiful building.

A building that was surely still standing, out there, somewhere. A building they knew well.

And the burnt corpses that lay around them. Their friends.

Frederick sighed to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.

They were tired. So fucking tired. _So fucking tired._

If there was anyone out there at all… anyone.. Any _thing…_

This would be a _fantastic_ time for that to save them.

_But that just felt… so out of reach..._

* * *

The elder Baudelaires and Quagmires stood in the wispy fields of the Iridescent Plains, Lunari walking over to Quigley,

“N-now, young one, a-all you must do is s-simple - point your k-keyblade d-directly forward, and th-think of where y-you desire t-to g-go.”

Quigley only nodded, raising the blade and holding it steadily with both hands. He was a tad shakey, and his sister put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her and nodded.

“Y-you can do it, Quig!” Violet called to him sweetly, her cheeks flushed. Klaus and Nick rolled their eyes.

Quigley smiled to himself. He and Violet’s relationship was turning into a… “will they, won’t they?” sort of thing. Though it was obvious to the others.

The lovesick fools.

Klaus and Duncan had remained two disaster gays, being distant - quiet about it. They didn’t want to hear the giggling from their siblings.

 _How do those two even DEAL with that?_ Klaus wondered.

The tip of Quigley’s keyblade began to glimmer, stardust encircling it, weaving all the way up to the cartographer’s hands,

In a flash of soft purple light, a beam shot out, hitting an invisible wall,

And a large door began to form.

Quigley’s eyes were wide, shining with wonder. Duncan threw up his fists in triumph.

Lunari smiled, giggling, “Good j-job, L-Lord Quigley!”

The light from his blade faded, and the beam disappeared. A large keyhole appeared on the door.

“Well,” Nick said, “I guess this is where our mission begins.”

Isadora nodded, “Be brave. We are stronger than The Shadows.”

Quigley ran over to the door, and the others followed. He looked at his keyblade, then to the door, and shoved the blade into the lock, turning it to the side, and a hefty _click_ was heard.

He stepped back as the other children came to his side, the door swinging open.

A cold chill blew through the doorway, blowing past them, making Klaus shiver.

“That’s… definitely our world.” He muttered. Violet grabbed onto her brother’s hand for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He looked at her, smiling slightly.

“Alright. Let’s get to it, then. There are some souls we need to save.” Lilac said, then going through the door.

The others walked through, Violet looking back at Lunari,

“We’ll be back before you know it!” The inventor chirped happily, then running through the door. It slammed shut, and began to vanish in a waterfall of glitter. Lunari’s smile faded into a worried look.

 _Don’t get to cocky, little stars._ Lunari thought. She stood there for a little while longer before turning to meet with Arisa.

More preparations would need to be done to welcome the new souls.

* * *

The pastel dreamscape around them melted into a graying, depressed expanse. They faced a plethora of dilapidated, tombstone-shaped dorm buildings. Many were completely destroyed, while others had their roofs caved in. Various broken slabs of rock and land were floating oddly in the air, dead flora hanging off.

“...I have a feeling it’s not supposed to look like this.” Duncan whispered, surveying the wreckage.

“...The Shadows don’t waste any time, do they?” Quigley said shakily. Violet could only nod.

“I think those are the _least_ of our problems…” Klaus said, his voice shaking, staring upward.

The other kids slowly turned around,

To see Prufrock in shambles, floating high above the ground, shrouded in shadows.

Lilac swallowed.

“Hah, wow!” Nick joked, “They really did turn this place into an evil fortress, huh?”

“‘Means the boss is somewhere in there,” Violet stated simply, “And we just gotta get through the level to kill it.”

Klaus and Duncan gave worried whines.

“Oh, buck up, buttercup.” Quigley said to them, then sliding over to Violet’s side.

Violet snorted, “More like fuck up, let’s get this shit on the road. We’ve got people to save.”

“R-right.” Lilac said softly as they began to move.

With a swift summoning of their dragons, they flew up to the fortress-school and landed on a piece of land before the entrance.

“We’ll hop, skip, and jump across. Simple.” Nick said, then running forward.

“Platforming. Fun.” Violet smiled, following behind him.

The two began to run across pieces of land and thin air, glittering platforms appearing and fading under their feet where they needed to be.

“How the _fuck_ are some of you people so _chill_ about this!?” Duncan cried as he ran after them.

“Bravery and confidence in the face of danger / This, to you, should become no stranger.” Isadora sighed as she grabbed Lilac’s hand and ran off. The mechanic’s face grew hot as she stared from the poet’s hand to the back of her head.

_She’s holding my hand she’s holDING MY HAND SHE’S-_

Quigley laughed and Klaus groaned, and the two boys followed the others.

* * *

Duncan and Isadora pushed open the heavy doors, and they all made their way inside.

The air was cold and still. The walls were covered in dripping black ooze, a heavy fog gathered at their feet. The dark sky could be seen through the shattered windows, prickly, dark vines growing through them and spreading across the floor-

The floors were covered in rotting corpses, the flesh black, the eyes empty, all orifices dripping with dark sludge.

“Oh-” Duncan gasped, stepping backward slightly, bumping into Klaus behind him,

“Holy God _above_ what the _fUCK…”_

“Welcome to hell, bud.” Nick sighed, “This is what The Shadows do.”

Duncan fought back tears, Klaus grabbing onto his hand.

“You might as well get used to it.” Nick finished. Violet hummed with some sadness.

They stepped over vines and bodies, their shimmering forms providing some light to the darkness around them.

There was some scratching heard. Lilac whipped around, summoning her phoenix, and it snatched up a small, scraggly looking beast in its beak, crushing it.

“Be wary. There will be things like this everywhere.” Lilac said stiffly. The others only nodded.

They continued to walk, stepping over bodies and vines and crumbled walls and other types of mess and trash.

“Where the hell are we supposed to find this girl..?” Quigley asked, “And that other soul?”

“The other soul is apparently a woman - but they said there was another dream weaver here, too - “ Klaus said.

“- Not a dream weaver, dream _magic,_ we’re not _sure_ if-” Violet corrected him.

“-Well, let’s assume the best.” Lilac finished for the both of them.

Quigley sighed, then hitting away another little creature with his keyblade as if it was a baseball.

“Wait, sis,” Duncan said, turning to Isadora, “Your lantern-!”

Isadora’s eyes lit up, “Oh, right! I’m a dumbass, how could I forget-” She said, raising her staff, the lantern swaying carefully.

She looked at it, attentive, and it began to glow gently. She could _feel_ the light. It was warm… but…

It felt… worrying…

Isadora swallowed,

“We need to get there. And quickly.” She whispered,

“But I don’t think we’re gonna like what we find.”


	23. Attack of Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle ensues, and a friend is lost...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

The children had begun to run through the wrecked halls and rooms, Isadora taking the lead, holding out the lantern carefully. They stopped occasionally to fight off smaller beasts,

But as they drew closer to their destination,

The bigger the beasts became.

Violet and Quigley were able to fight off three large, human-corpse-like spiders. Klaus and Duncan defeated some disgusting looking centipede-like creatures.

They then entered a classroom that was covered in… _glitter._

Glimmering soft purple and blue glitter.

“...There was another dream weaver here.” Lilac said, looking back to them, “And there was a bigger creature here. And they… they got rid of it.”

“...Can any of us sense where they are..?” Klaus asked.

Violet swallowed, “There’s something faint, but… the darkness is… it’s so _thick,_ I-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nick huffed, “As long as they’ve been taking care of the bigger ones, we’ll be fine. Let’s keep going.”

And they did.

However, they came upon yet another classroom covered in the same glitter.

Isadora looked around this room more carefully,

“This room… and the other room… these belonged to _teachers…”_

Duncan winced, “You don’t think these two teachers turned into-”

“Most likely.” Nick said.

Klaus made a worried noise.

And they once again continued on.

* * *

More and more creatures came, bigger and bigger as they made their way to the inevitable inner sanctum of the school-turned-dark-fortress - though they proved to be no issue thanks to the children’s teamwork and overall positive attitude (However fear _did_ start to play at their heartstrings like a violin.).

“When does it _end?”_ Quigley huffed, he and Violet catching up with the others.

Isadora stood before a pitch-black wall. It… _seemed_ like a wall.

It wasn’t.

This was a room. The walls and door and windows had been destroyed.

“Here.” The poet whispered, bringing her staff to her side.

The others slowly gathered near her, Klaus squinting into the darkness, trying to see something… _anything…_

“...So it’s… in _there?”_ Duncan said softly.

Nick gulped,

“Yep.”

Lilac inhaled deeply,

“And I don’t think it’ll be pretty, either.”

Violet hummed, “‘Wasn’t expecting it to be.”

Quigley exhaled through his nose,

“Let’s get this done. That girl needs us.”

* * *

The kids charged into the dark room, and it began to rumble. Klaus and Nick quickly began to create a protective barrier around the group as the nightmare appeared. The Quagmires gasped in horror, Violet summoning her globe of flowers, which was abundant, and grasped her staff tightly, her knuckles turning white.

The beast… if one could call it that… was a mass of flesh, dripping with black slime. Dozens of bloodshot eyes covered it, flesh-rotted human limbs sprouting from multiple sides. It crawled down what they assumed was a wall, splashing the barrier with goop. Klaus swiped his hand to the side, causing the goop to disappear into glitter.

The nightmare’s plethora of eyes turned to the group,

And then,

An unnerving cracking was heard.

A cracking, creaking, snapping,

And the mound of flesh opened up, unhinging a jaw-like structure, showing a bloody mouth with rows and rows of sharp teeth.

Isadora felt as if she was going to vomit. Duncan cried out.

Quigley looked to Violet, who looked to him with assured eyes,

_We’ve got this._

Quigley only nodded once,

_I sure hope you’re right._

Duncan swallowed, shaking his head quickly, his eyes squeezed shut. He drew two of his blades, clutching them tightly, then looked up at the nightmare, who jumped towards them in a flash, slamming into the barrier, clinging onto it, attempting to crush it - and them along with it.

Violet drew several blooms from her globe, encircling herself with them. She whispered a small prayer, and the flowers disappeared into small globes of light, which popped. The stardust gathered around her feet,

And the ground began to softly shake,

Several dozen huge, brilliant green vines shot up from the ground, their shimmering forms stretching up the walls, massive flowers blossoming, their shimmering illuminating the room, chasing away the darkness.

The hulking nightmare screamed, clutching onto the barrier even tighter, causing cracks to appear in the magic.

Violet looked to Duncan and Isadora, and they only nodded, knowing.

Duncan stared directly at the nightmare, twirling his blades in his hands, then pointing one directly at the center of the creature’s open maw.

Isadora swung her lantern around to her front, slamming the staff down into the ground, causing several ribbons of white light to shoot out, through the barrier, and grabbing onto the nightmare’s limbs.

It let out another horrible, guttural scream once again, struggling against the ropes of light.

“ **_NOW!_ ** _”_ Lilac screamed, her phoenix taking off from her arm.

Klaus and Nick dropped the barrier, the nightmare falling.

Duncan yelled, his swords suddenly erupting with bright, flashing lightning.

The journalist ran toward the beast with blinding speed,

Then plunging the blades into the nightmares mouth,

Going through,

And coming out of its “back” - the other side.

Quigley ran forward and up, the same glittering platforms appearing and disappearing at his feet, slashing at the eyes with his keyblade.

Lilac’s phoenix then breathed a torrent of bright purple fire as the electricity from Duncan’s blades racked the nightmare’s body. It screamed and howled, Duncan landing with ease onto the broken floor, running back around, cutting at the beast’s limbs as an added bonus.

Violet cried out happily as they all watched the nightmare explode into a huge bubble of light, covering the room with glitter and light, blasting away the darkness.

Duncan then collapsed onto the floor, his chest heaving, eyes wide with shock. Quigley landed beside his brother and began to jump around in victory.

The room became silent as they watched the stardust fall gently, dusting everything in sight in a multitude of brilliant pastels.

“So.” Nick said, going to help Duncan up,

“Lightning, huh?”

Duncan only began to laugh loudly in agreement.

They didn’t have much time to rest before Isadora looked around, staring at her lantern, and whipping to face the others,

“Where is the girl?”

Quigley blinked, ceasing his celebration,

“She’s not here?”

“No,” Isadora said, “She’s here. But… I… _where?”_

Just then there came an urgent voice from behind them,

“ _She’s here - but she’s in_ **_HIS_ ** _hands!”_

The children turned, then seeing a radiant woman dawned in purple and blue, several shimmering cards floating around her.

****

Isadora ran over to her,

_“His?_ Wh-what do you mean!?”

“And you must be the dream magic the others had sensed.” Nick said as he walked over.

The woman only nodded,

“My name is Olivia. I-I’m a dream weaver, like you, I suppose - _Olaf. Olaf_ has Carmelita. We need to get to a safer place. He’s-”

“ **_FUCK!_ ** _”_ Lilac shouted, surprising her brother.

Olivia swallowed, “He’s… he’s so… _powerful._ I tried to stop him on my own but then he summoned that… that _beast-_ I think-!” She cried, “I think that beast used to be _vice principal Nero!”_

“Serves him right.” Nick muttered.

“I’m guessing he wasn’t a good person?” Isadora asked. Nick’s face twisted into disgust,

“No. Not at all.”

Isadora hummed, “Well. Rest in piss I guess.”

Olivia made a worried noise, “We _need_ to get to my office - it’s not _safe_ here-!”

“We need to save Carmelita.” Violet stated defiantly, “And I’m going to kill that son of a _bitch.”_

Nick looked to Violet, his face stern,

“Violet.” He said carefully, “You _heard_ what Lunari said.”

Violet squinted at him. Quigley blinked,

“He’s that asshole that tried to touch you, right?” He asked meekly. Violet turned to him,

“...I don’t remember telling you that?”

Quigley coughed,

“For some reason I just… knew.”

Violet blinked at him. She then gave him a confident gaze,

“So,” She breathed, “You’ll help me?”

Quigley only nodded, Nick and Isadora running over to them, their faces panicked.

Olivia looked fearfully at them,

And then the room grew cold.

Very. _Very_ cold.

The librarian let out a terrified squeak, readying her spellcards. The children whipped their heads around to see something awful step from a billowing shadow.

Violet grit her teeth in a mixture of fear and anger.

_“D̢̠̞o͔͓͖n̠͖'̪͜ț̠͜.̞̻͕.͓͕̞.̫̘͜ l̢̝̘i̢̼̻s͖̦͓t̡̼͇e̡̡n̺̙̪ t̢̼͓o̪͖͕ t̠͙̼h̪͚e͚̫̞.̢͉̫.̢͔.̠͕̦ g̠͔͕o͍͖̺o̫̝̠f͇͙̺y͖̘̠ l̘̟̼o̢̡̙o̟̦͚k̪͍̠i͚̼͔n̟͍̼g̻̘͜.̺͖̫.̺͕͓.͉͍̺ h͓͔̦a̼̻͜g͚͍͙.͇̟͎.̢͙.̡̞͉”_

Quigley swallowed hard, holding out his keyblade steadily.

 _“P͉͍̼l͉̠̫e̼̻a̡͍̪s̡̻͍e̘̺̼.̢̦͕.͖͎̙.̘̪ m̟̻̞y̡͔ d̼͖a͓͚͔r̦̝̘l̙̦i̘͖n̻͖̘g̢̘͓.̠͉̞.̝̙͔.̦̠̺ p̢̞̪e͔͕̞t͖͍͎.̟͍̟.̢͔̼.͍͎͜”_ Olaf continued, _“D͓̝͜o̻̫ y̠͔̟o̝̺̝u̢͖͎r̡̻̙.̫͎̪.͔̠͇.̙̫͜ w̼͍͙o̡͍͜r͉̟s͍̪̫t̢̠̦!̡̻̦”_ He then began to chuckle darkly. Violet screamed out in anger as she ran toward him, waving her staff forcefully to the side, causing the vines on the walls to lunge towards the crooked man.

Nick yelled out something desperate, Quigley then raising his keyblade, following alongside Violet. The others tried to stop Violet and Quigley - 

A group of shadowy, clawed hands rose up and slammed them all up against the wall, forcing them into the cracked stones and splintered wood, threatening to crush them. Isadora cried out in pain. Klaus flicked a finger up, summoning a small, icy barrier, trying to break the arms’ hold on them, but the barrier _shattered._ Some of the hands fell away from their shimmering forms, but more hands rose up, keeping them held down.

Violet watched as her vines _disintegrated_ as they touched Olaf, causing both she and Quigley to skid to a stop. The flowers around the room began to wilt and melt into the thick, black ooze. Fear gripped the two’s bodies.

Another hand rose up, grabbing Quigley, and he screamed. It flung him away, being caught by yet another hand, and slammed into the wall with the others.

Violet stood, frozen in fear, her mind buzzing. Her ears ringing. The muffled screaming and crying out from her friends behind her.

Her whole body was in pain.

 _“D̢̝͖o̘͜͜ c̙̼͎o̻̝͍m̼̙͓e̠͕̫ a̝͍͜n̟̠̻d͔͇͔.̠͚͙.͕͔͔.̼̦̟ j͇̫͍o͎̠͜i͍̙͜n͉͙̪ m͍͜y͎̟͖ o̢̡͕t̞̦͙h͓͔̟e͚͙̠r͇͚.̙͎͖.̼̺̝.̪͉ t̙̘̠o̫̼͜y̡̪̘.̪͉͇.̼͓̟.̝̦͇ y̢̙͜e̢̡̞s͕͎̞?̠͎͓”_ Olaf’s voice dripped with disgusting victory, and several tendrils shot out of the ground, grabbing at Violet, causing her to scream out in fear, tears beginning to pour down her face.

The tendrils were shot back by the inventor’s glittering form, causing Olaf to make an irritated noise, and he moved forward,

Grabbing her by the neck,

And the glittering light began to fade slightly,

Allowing the tendrils to grab freely onto Violet,

And then,

She was yanked downward,

Vanishing from sight,

Her screams echoing through the room.

Olaf looked up at the others with empty, dark eyes, his grin filled with horrible razor-sharp teeth,

 _“T̼̝͜h̪̫͙a͇͖͜n̝̺͇k̻̠ y̙͕͚o̦͔̪u̡͔̺.͉̞͎.̻̞.̼̫̠ f͇͓o̡͇͖r̠̺̙ y̢͉̙o̺͎̠u͙̠͍r͓̝͙ s͙̘̺a͍̻̻c͙̟̘r̡̠̪i̙̙͇f̡͕͍i̺͚͜c͕̼͓e̟͓̫.͉͙͔.͇̞̠.̟͔͎”_ Olaf’s voice was guttural, filled with nightmarish sounds, _“W͇͙͖e͙̞͜ s̢̪͉h̦̘͜a̡̝̪l͎̫͓l̟̦͔ b͓̟͕e͍̫̝.̢͔̺.̘̪̞.̘̻͔ e͍̺̠x͓͍p͍̼͇e̫͚͖c͚̫͙t̡͕̪i͙̻͎n̝͕͍g̠͍̼ a̡͍̘n͇͇͜o̻͙t̢͙͔h͖̻̺e̫̺̦r̞͚͓.̡̡̼.̺͉͎.̝͎̫ q͖̙̼u̠̫̦i̢̦͉t̢̙̼e̞̺͕ s̪͉̙o͇̘͉o̫͉̙n̢̢͉!̢͚̟”_

He then vanished back into the darkness, Olivia and the children released and dropped back onto the ground with several thuds.

Klaus raised himself up weakly, looking wildly around. Quigley forced himself to stand, gripping his arm.

“V-Violet?” Klaus said shakily.

No answer.

It was deathly still.

Cold.

“ _Vi…. Violet!?”_ He called again, his throat growing tight. Quigley began to angrily hit the floor with his keyblade. Olivia began to sob into her lap, haunched over.

“ _VIOLET! VIOLET! NO! VIOLET! VIOLET OH GOD, VIOLET NO-!”_ Klaus screamed, tears running down his face.

Lilac and Nick stayed laying on the floor. They were used to this.

Isadora and Duncan cried desperately, Duncan running over to Klaus and holding onto the frantic bookworm, who began to wail horribly,

“ _HE TOOK HER! HE TOOK HER AND NOW HE HAS HER AND SHE’S GOING TO GET HURT! HE’S GOING TO-”_ He screamed out, his face a mess with tears and snot. Duncan buried his head into the boy’s fluffy pastel, blue cloak.

_W a r r i o r s o f l i g h t ._

A group of gentle voices sounded in their minds. Olivia and the children immediately felt a wealth of tranquility wash over them, their tears ceasing.

_L a d y V i o l e t a n d L a d y C a r m e l i t a w i l l b e f i n e ._

“...And how do you know that?” Nick called out.

_S t r e n g t h i n n u m b e r s , q u i c k i n w i t ,_

_T h e n i g h t m a r e s s h a l l n o t h o l d t h e m ._

“So… she can g-get… she can get out..?” Quigley asked, his voice breaking.

_R e t u r n h o m e ,_

_B u t , r e t u r n h e r e w h e n t h e c h i m e i s h e a r d._

“The… chime…” Klaus asked bluntly.

_L a d y I s a d o r a ‘ s l a n t e r n . . ._

Isadora looked to her lantern,

“...R-right.”

Duncan blinked,

“Wait, you said nightmares, right? They’re trapped in nightmares? That’s where they were taken?”

There was an agreeing hum.

The journalist swallowed,

“...Our parents were taken, too.”

Quigley’s eyes lit up,

“Th-that means o _ur pARENTS ARE IN THE NIGHTMARES, TOO!”_ He said, feeling as if they’d made a bewildering discovery.

Another agreeing hum was heard.

“Could she get all of them out?” Isadora begged, “Could they all come back to us? Safely?”

_T h e y w i l l r e t u r n . . . b u t . . . c h a n g e d ._

“...Understandable.” Lilac muttered.

Nick grumbled, “I’m sure being stuck in a _literal nightmare realm_ wouldn’t exactly be… _good_ on the psyche.”

Isadora cleared her throat, “Hopefully changed for the good - we need to have-”

“Hope. I get it, Isa.” Nick spat.

Olivia blinked at them, feeling a mountain of guilt,

“... _I’m so… SO s-sorry…”_

Klaus turned to her,

“...Don’t be. You warned us. The others warned us, too.”

Quigley dropped his head.

“...It’s not your fault either, Quig.” The bookworm said, “My sister’s always been a stubborn son of a bitch.”

“You’re just a lovestruck idiot.” Isadora said, throwing him a look. Quigley whined,

“ _I just wanted to help her! And now she’s gone!”_

Lilac huffed, “Not gone. She’s fighting. Even now. I bet she’s-”

“Scared shitless.” Nick cut her off.

“There’s only one way to know.” Klaus said, standing up, helping Duncan to his feet,

“And that’s to wait and see how long this’ll take.”

Duncan nodded,

“If she… _contacts_ us… then we can help. Love transcends even _realms.”_

Olivia only nodded.

“We’ll get her back.” Lilac said, standing up,

“We’ll get them all back.”

* * *

Quigley summoned a door back to the dreamscape, and the children went through, all but Quigley.

The cartographer looked back at Olivia, who looked nervous, her hands shaking.

“...You’ll be fine. Trust me. Besides - you’ve gotta learn how to use your new powers _somewhere,_ right?”

Olivia only nodded, then following after the boy. The door slammed shut.

The air was crisp and smooth, like a pleasant fall morning. The skies above were vast and gorgeous, shimmering with radiant wonder. The pastel landscape around the librarian made her feel so small, and yet… she felt… _free_ here.

Lunari and Arisa stood, waiting for them.

The bunny woman ran over to them, “Welcome back, my little stars! Just wait until you see the Baudelaire cottage-!”

Until she noticed there was… one less child, no new child, and a glowing new dream weaver.

“...Where is…” Arisa began shakily,

“ _Where is Violet?”_

* * *

Violet awoke with a horrified start, flailing her arms around, screaming, kicking her legs. As soon as she felt nothing grabbing at her and slithering near where things shouldn’t be slithering, she began to calm down. She clutched her head, blinking, unsure whether or not her eyes were open or closed. It was dark here - wherever she was. Oh _God._ Were the others ok? Shit, shit, _SHIT-_

“...Ok.” She whispered to herself, breathing shaky, “First things first-” She began, finding her feet, standing up. She snapped her fingers, and in a flash of light, her staff appeared back in her hand, where it belonged.

She nodded carefully,

“Second things secoooond…” Violet sing-songed, spinning around, summoning a few glowing blooms in the pitch blackness.

Their light didn’t reach very far. Violet huffed,

“Fun. Cool. Great.” She snarled, “I _swear,_ once I _find_ that mother _FUCKER_ I’m gonna _KILL-”_

A surge of pain shot through her body. She winced, nearly doubling over.

_Right. Fuck._

She took in a deep breath, standing upright, as tall as a five-foot-four, fourteen year old teen could stand. She blew some hair from her face and… began to walk forward.

Her steps were silent, everything was silent. There was no noise, save for the gentle chimes coming from her staff.

_Did it always do that?_

She blinked at it as she walked. The emptiness and silence made her feel uncomfortable. She could hear her tinnitus ringing through her ears. She hated that.

Suddenly,

A long hallway burst forward before her. It didn’t look familiar to her, and she hesitated.

“Oooookaaaay..?” The inventor murmured, stepping into the carpeted hallway. It looked like it belonged to a large house - fancy and nice. Similar to what their family’s mansion was like, but the style was different.

As she walked down the hallway, the pitch blackness behind her disappeared, being replaced with the hallway’s end behind her, and a door to her left as she turned to look. She blinked,

“Ok, so this definitely is not… _real_ real…” Violet whispered.

She then heard some shouting. Screaming. Like… a female voice, and then some crying. Violet looked worriedly at the door where it came from.

The door then swung open, Violet jumping to hide behind a tall plant in the corner. She didn’t think that would matter as much, but the tall, red-headed woman that stalked out seemed to be too focused on being angry than anything else.

The inventor breathed out a sigh of relief, watching the horrible looking woman stomp down the hallway, disappearing around a corner.

Violet then slid into the room, closing the door carefully, it clicking shut. She decided to lock it.

She turned around to survey the room-

It was very cute, very pink, and very… lonely bedroom.

Violet then turned to see a red-headed girl curled up into a ball on her bed.

“I-if you’re here to yell a-at me some m-more, I don’t wanna HEAR it.” The girl sobbed, her voice muffled.

“...I’m not going to yell at you.” Violet said gently.

The girl uncurled from her position,

And looked up,

Gazing at the shimmering girl before her, bathed in a soft purple light.

The red-head blinked, her face stained with tears,

“... _Are you an angel..?”_


	24. Waiting for You, Waiting for You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blessed be the light that frees those from the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video

Arisa paced back and forth in the living room of the new Baudelaire cottage. Beatrice was sobbing, Bertrand wringing his hands, and Lemony was trying to comfort the both of them, all the while freaking out himself.

The children had explained what had transpired. Olivia sat uncomfortably on an armchair. She knew the names of the dream weaving women - Zenith had told her...

“We can try to contact Violet!” Klaus said helpfully, breaking the unnerving silence.

Isadora arched her brows, “Do you really think we could reach her all the way from-”

“Yes.” Arisa said suddenly, ceasing her movement,

“You can attempt to contact her through her thoughts - it may take some work, but you’re smart kiddos -” The bunny woman explained, “I’m sure you’ll be able to do it.

“Let’s try to join hands - call out for her! We can try that!” Duncan said.

Lilac and Nick sighed.

Sunny and Solitude were shivering together in the Baudelaire parents’ laps.

“ _ Please…”  _ Beatrice sobbed, “I just… _ I just want my baby girl back..!” _

“That  _ sick, TWISTED, MOTHERFUCKER-”  _ Bertrand hissed, placing an arm over his eyes in anger. Lemony quickly wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders.

“We’ll get Violet back,” Lilac stated firmly as the other children began to gather and grab hands,

_ “We’ll find her. We’ll help her get out.” _

* * *

Olivia had excused herself from the cottage, wandering outside. 

She felt so…  _ guilty. _

Zenith had reassured her that many of this was beyond many people’s control - including the librarian’s.

She walked to nowhere in particular, squeezing her hands, fiddling with her hair, staring at some of her spellcards-

“...Excuse me..?” A sure voice came. Olivia’s attention snapped up, and she stopped in her tracks.

Before her was another dream weaver - a woman in burgundy. The woman blinked,

“...I thought there… weren’t any other dream weavers in that world-”

“Y-you must be… Jacquelyn.” Olivia said softly,

“ _ Zenith told me about you.”  _ She said as she touched the choker at her neck, where the shining blue stone now sat.

Jacquelyn stepped back, staring in disbelief. Her mentor… and this woman… and who..? Why..?

How…?

“Wh- _ what..?”  _ Jacquelyn asked, her body growing hot with worry, confusion and…

Attraction?

This woman was gorgeous, yes, but…

“I am Olivia - I found Zenith’s stone in my office desk. She blessed me with whatever she had left…” The librarian explained quickly, daring not to inch any further towards Jacquelyn.

The auburn-haired woman felt tears in her eyes,

“I… so... her stone  _ was _ safe…” She whispered, “And… that’s where it ended up…”

_ A blessing..? _

Olivia only nodded, confused.

Jacquelyn wiped an eye, “Allow me to explain - _ uh-”  _ She began, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her,

“When she- Zenith- when Zenith…  _ died…  _ her… her magic, her soul, it…”

“Turned into this stone? Whatever was left?” Olivia said.

Jacquelyn only nodded.

_ Such is fate… _

The auburn-haired woman walked up to the librarian, taking her hands gently,

“Olivia… she chose you… because… because there’s something about you.” She said softly, looking into Olivia’s eyes. Olivia blinked, her face flushing pink,

“I-  _ Violet and Carmelita were kidnapped.” _ She let out.

Jacquelyn’s eyes widened in surprise,

“... _ N-no…”  _ She felt her heart nearly stop, “ _ That’s-!” _

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, nodding sadly.

“...Then they’ll need our help.” Jacquelyn said suddenly, grabbing onto Olivia’s hand.

Olivia felt panic grip at her, but the comforting warmth of Jacquelyn’s hand made her feel… calm,

“The children are trying to call out to Violet. They’re in Lady Arisa’s cottage...” The librarian informed her. Jacquelyn gave a single, confident nod,

“Then they’ll need our help to heighten their magic, yes?”

Olivia swallowed, nodding,

“R-right!”

* * *

Violet slowly reached out to the red-head, and she winced. The inventor retracted her hand a bit,

“I’m not going to hurt you - and… I’m a dream weaver.”

“MynameisCarmelita-” She rushed out, “I’m  _ scared. _ I  _ hate _ this place - it’s not home and it’s never  _ been  _ home and I don’t know why I’m  _ back! _ I was doing ok in school, I  _ thought, _ and-!”

“ _ Carmelita.”  _ Violet said, gently grabbing onto the girl’s arm, “This isn’t real.”

“... _ What?”  _ Carmelita asked, bewildered.

The knob on the door jiggled, causing the two girls to jump and look toward the door. Carmelita let out a tearful whine.

Banging on the door. It was loud and heavy. Carmelita cried out, covering her ears with her hands, starting to sob desperately, tears pouring down her face.

“Carmelita, this  _ isn’t. Real.  _ It’s all a  _ nightmare-”  _ Violet tried to explain, attempting to hold her,

But an invisible wall suddenly stopped her, her hands knocking against something glass-like.

“Wh-what..?” Violet whispered.

The wall then quickly moved back, shoving her backwards quickly, slamming her into the wall,

Crashing through,

To the other side, where the void was waiting. 

Violet let out a pained scream, landing hard, sliding back. She winced in pain as she quickly got up with aid of her staff, struggling over to the cracked hole in the void, to where Carmelita’s bedroom was.

The inventor tried to make her way back through, but that wall - it stopped her again.

“ _ CARMELITA!”  _ She called out, “ _ IT’S NOT REAL! NONE OF THIS IS REAL!” _

A dark figure appeared, and hovered over Carmelita. Violet’s eyes grew wide with fear,

“ **_CARMELITA ! !_ ** _ ” _

Violet turned her eyes away, hearing Carmelita’s pained screams.

“ _ It’s not real. It’s not real! This isn’t real. None of this is real it’s not real none of it’s REAL-”  _ Violet whispered to herself, curling up into a ball, holding her staff close. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise.

_ “N͕͍͓o̢̼̫t͎̙͎ r͉̟͜e͓͚̫a̼̫̪l͓͚͖.̡͙̫.̼̙̫?̻͍̙” _

Violet’s eyes snapped open, and she looked wildly around, sprawling across the floor.

_ “I̢̼̼ c̡͖a̫̞͙n͎̠͕ a̙͜s̻͎͚s͕̺͎u͔̙͍r͍͖͜e͕͎ y͚̼̞o̢̙͖u̦̪̟.͔̘͙.̘͜͜.͇͜ l̡̞͙i͍̼̠t͉̺̻t̺̞͕l̫̺̘e̠͎̫ p͙͍e͍̝̠t̺͉͉.̺͍͎.̝̼̪.̠͓͜” _

She knew exactly who this was. She tried to calm herself. She breathed deeply, counting to ten with each breath, whispering prayers-

_ “T̫̙͜h̢͉i̝͉̞s͉͙ i̡͉̠s͓͓ a̢̺̠l̘̘l͎̪̝.͉͕͙.̢͓͖.͇̦̼ v̘͙̦e̢̟̙r̼̦͇y͚͚.̢̠̙.̡̢.̢͔͙ r̙̙e̢̡͇a̡͇̪l̢̞͍.̟̫͍.̠͉͙.̻̼̘” _

Violet tried to stand, but stumbled. She could run. Where? There was nowhere to run. She needed to  _ focus.  _ Olaf couldn’t reach her if she was praying, turning the negativity into courage and kindness and-

_ Carmelita. _

Carmelita  _ needed  _ her. She was trapped in her own nightmare - mortals were probably affected far worse by the nightmares than dream weavers were. That’s probably why OIaf was having a harder time getting to her completely.

_ Good, Violet, you’re smart. Easy stuff to figure out. Think good thoughts. Pray. Keep ahold of yourself- _

_ “I̡̻͇ k̘͇n͚̞̘o̻͚͙w̡̙.̫͕͍.̦̟̼.̟̝̦ m̪̪a͖̪̙n̺̠͓y̡͉͉ w͕͉̻a̼͇͉y͕̞͕s͔͍̦ t̡͍͔o̻͇̞.͖̝.̢͔.͇͔͜ b̝̝͇r̞͉͜e̞̠͚a̞̫̼k̞͖͓ y̞͙͍o͉͎̦u͔̼͍.̢̡͚.̻͚.̡͕̫”  _ Olaf’s voice hissed from somewhere in the void,

_ “S͕͔͍o͚͔̞o͖͇̺n̞͚̘.̻͕̟.̟͔̼.̝͍͓ y͚͉͍o͔̞̻u͎̟̼.̢̦̝.͓̙̞.̪̠͜ i͍͜t̡͙͎ w̦͍i͉͍̙l̞̘l͚̙̪ a̘͖̟l̪̞͜l͔̺̺ b̪͔͖e̝̟͙.̡̘͕.̟͍̞.͖̺̝ o̙͍̪u̫͔̝r͖͔͍'͍̼͜s̞͜.͕̘̦.̡̙͇.͎̠” _

Violet hissed out, trying to keep herself from crying, squeezing her eyes shut. She needed to  _ focus. _

She sat on her knees, bringing her staff to her front, gripping onto it carefully.

The endless whispers from the darkness, the ringing in her ears, the now distant screams from Carmelita-

-Violet had to block them out. She needed to break the nightmare. Break the illusion.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, then beginning a prayer-

_ Light in the dark, _

_ Love shall shine, _

_ Creator protect us, _

_ And higher we’ll climb, _

_ Beauty in all, _

_ Bravery in ashes, _

_ I call out, a simple plea… _

**_Save. Me._ **

* * *

Jacquelyn stepped quickly into Arisa’s living room, dragging Olivia with her. The children had gathered close together, holding hands tightly, heads bowed. Some were crying, others shivering. Arisa looked up to the two women, looking sorrowful at first - 

But then hopeful.

“...We can strengthen the children.” Jacquelyn said softly, “We can get to the girls.”

Arisa nodded.

The three women sat near the children, the Baudelaire parents and the Snicket man watching carefully. Sunny and Solitude looked through teary eyes.

Jacquelyn placed her hands on Isadora and Lilac’s shoulders. Olivia placed her’s on Klaus and Duncan’s. Arisa placed her’s on Quigley and Nick’s.

The area around them began to shimmer brightly, glittering with promise. A beautiful crescent moon, a ringed planet, and several glittering stars appeared on the floor below them, warm and radiant.

Their prayers and tears were heard,

And they would not be wasted.

* * *

Something twisted was in the air. They could feel it.

Kira and Ruby ran through the V.F.D. tunnels,

“They’re around here-” The elven woman breathed heavily, “I know they are-”

“KIRA,  _ please,  _ we’ve been running for  _ hours!”  _ Ruby gasped, running just behind her on all fours, her claws digging into the wet dirt below them.

_ “We mustn't give up!” _ Kira replied, her lantern glowing brilliantly,

_ “They’re-” _

The two women came upon a vast room, dim, horribly cold.

They gaped, Kira raising her staff up, a handful of glittering orbs flying out of her lantern, illuminating the room-

And there,

At the back center of the room,

Were the Quagmire parents.

Unconscious. Held against the wall by a dark, dripping ooze.

“... _ Shit…”  _ Ruby muttered.

A guttural screech sounded through the room, then some splashing-

“ _ SHIT-”  _ Ruby called out, summoning several small, glittering blades at her side.

“Remain steadfast, Lady Ruby,” Kira said, stern,

“ _ Those mortal’s souls are on the line.” _

* * *

Violet sat on her knees, leaning on her staff, whispering out prayers, breathing carefully. Trying.

_ “Y̴̡̝̻̾͋͑o̵͉̼̻̓̓̚u̸͔͉͙͋͋͠'̵͍̞̓̾̕͜r̵͎͛̓͜͠e̵̦̘͙͌͋̚ a̵̻͖͖͋̓̿.̸̡͖̞̓͘̚.̴͙̺̿̿.̵̻̺͓̕͘͝ s̵̡̞̐w̴̡̻͓͒͌̈́e̸͕͇̒͒͜e̸̡͖̦̾̓̚t̴̢͕̘͋̈́ l̵̻͕̙͆̾̚i̴̞͉̺̿̕t̵̪͉͖̐̽̕t̵̢̻̻͆̐͘l̴̦̺̠̽̕͠ë̵͚̺̦́͋̈́ t̸͙̞̒̈́̚͜o̵̪̟̫̐̈́̐y̴̙͉̻͌͋̓.̵̙̙͚.̴̢̠̒͘.̸̡̼̠̔̈́͊” _ That horrible voice came again.

But this time… somehow…

It was…  _ worse… _

Violet felt fear grip at her heart, but she held on. She held on to all that was left.

_ “M̵̻̻̪̿͝a̵̡͓̫͋̔͝y̴͎̼͚͊͒͘b̸̢͇̞͆̾̿e̸͉͍͎̽̓̕ y̴͍͓͚͆͘o̵̢͍̘̒̈́͆u̵̪̟̿͋ n̸̻̞̾̈́̈́͜e̸̪̠͐̿̕͜e̵͓͙̪͐͋d̴͚͚͇̓̐̕.̴̙͔͔͑̿͠.̵̡͓̔͝.̸̟͎̓̈́̒͜ a̴͕̟̐̕͠ l̸̟̺̐͛i̴̡̼̫͊̈́t̴̼͇̪͌̕͝ț̴͔͔̾̽͝l̸̙͕̻̓͒͝e̸̼̞͊̔̔͜.̵̟̙͎̾͊͠.̸̼͖͓͆̈́.̴̢̙͋̔͆ l̸͉͍͔͒̓e̵̟͔̿̒͘s̸̪̘͕̈́̕͝s̴͙̟̙̿͑̓o̴̙̫̔̾͆n̵͔͉̘͆͋͋.̴̺̪̼̒͛̔.̵̠̞̫͋͠.̴͇͕͉͋͆͋”  _ Olaf’s disgusting voice dripped out of her ears like blood. She shuddered.

_ Fight it. _

She felt something ice cold grip at her. Chilling and slimy. She flinched at the sudden touch. She knew this. This was what grabbed her and pulled her soul into this horrible place.

Violet breathed deeply, keeping her focus. Her brain was screaming to her body to tense up, keep the tendrils out. She didn’t want to feel them again.

_ Remain. Steadfast. _

_ “J̸̘̦̈́͌̈́͜u̴̼̘͐͆͛s̸͔̺͇͊͠t̸̻͖͒̽.̴͕̪̟̈́͆.̸̺̫̻̾̈́.̵̺̿̚͜͜͠ s̴̟̫͚͐̓̓u̴̫̟̻̒̕̕b̸̺̻̈́̾͜m̸͎͚̻̈́̾͌i̴̡͇̒̒t̴̡͖̝͒͐̓.̵̻͇͛͘.̵͚̺̿͠.̸̞̙͌̈́͜͝”  _ Olaf cooed horribly. She felt the cold tendrils pull at her limbs. She gripped tighter to her staff.

The end of her staff then burst into a brilliant bright, multicolored light. She heard hellish screaming, knowing it was hurting  _ him. _

_ Good. Suffer, fucker. _

She heard soft voices.

_ Her friends. Her siblings! Their mentors! _

She smiled, feeling tears coming to her eyes.

_ I will. Be fine. _

* * *

Carmelita’s body wracked with deep pain. She lay on the floor, bloody, broken. The girl sobbed, feeling numb - both mentally and physically.

_ This is all there is. _

She tried to get up, but nearly screamed.

_ This is all there ever will be _

Her parents were never kind. Her mother hated her. She knew that. Her father never dared to lay a finger on her too much. But she was always worried he’d go too far.

He did this time.

_ Her worst fear. _

She didn’t know why they hated her so much.

_ I’m your daughter. Your flesh and blood. But you lay hands on me. _

_ Your words… your actions... scar me. _

_ You don’t care. _

She was pretty sure some bones were broken. She couldn’t move her arms or her legs. Her head was throbbing. It hurt. So much of it  _ hurt _ . All over.

_ I just wish it would end. _

Her vision was blurry - with tears or if she was going to pass out, she couldn’t tell.

_ Please just kill me. _

_ “W̴̡̺͒͘͜h̴̺̠̫̚̚̚a̴̻̠͌̒͝t̸̙̼̪͝͝͝ f̴͇̫͑͘͠u̵͓͚̘̐̾͠n̸͓̼̝͛͌ w̵̙̫̻͋͝o̸̺̫̼͒̾u̵̢̡̙̒̐̕l̸̡̼̙͋͊͐d̵̝̟̫̒̈́͝ i̸̪̟͓̓͠͝t̴̡͔̒̒͑ b̴͕͔̠̽͝ë̸̠͓̙́͠ t̴͉͔̙͛͠o̴̢͛̓̚͜.̸̢̻̝͐̈́.̸͕͉̦͛͐̕.̸͙͍͚͑͊͐ e̵͙̪̪̚̚͝n̴͔͎̦̿̓d̵̘̙͑̚͝ i̸̫̙̔͠ẗ̵̟̟̦́͊͌?̵̻͎̻̓͠” _

_ I wish you did. _

_ “W̵̡͍͚͑̓͛e̴̺̠̐͒͌͜ d̸̠̼̫͆o̵͔̺̿n̴̡̫̦͐̚͘'̸̦̟͙͊͝t̴̪͉͍̓̔͊.̸͇͚͐͛̚͜.̴̺̞͚͆̐̕.̸͕̘̦͐̚͠ s̸̼̘̓̓͘͜e̸̞̘͎̔͋e̴̡͍̔͒͝ t̸̻̘̘̔͒̚h̸̡̞͇͠͠e̴̡͚̒͝͝ j̵̢͚͎͆͑o̸̡͔͚̽͋͝y̸͔͎̼͆ i̵̙͕̟͋͊n̸͖͔͊͜.̵̡̝͑͊.̸̟̼̪͑͑͘.̴̡̻̒͌͋ y̸͕͙͌̾͐o̵̙͖͚̽̔͠u̵͓͇͋̕͝r̵̢͉͓̓̿͊ d̸̺͎̺͛͊̿e̴̙͖͛̓͝a̴̝͍̘͒̐͠t̵̻̝͔̓͋͑h̴͕͖̒͊͝.̸̻͓̽͜.̸̘͓͐̓̕.̴̞̘̞͛̈́” _

_ Please, for the love of God, just kill me. _

_ Y̴̠̺͓̓̕o̴͔̙͒͛͊ǘ̸͓̼̫͝r̵̝͓͕̽͊ s̸̢͓͚̒̈́̚u̵̡͙̞͌͌̔f̸̻͔̟͒͆͐f̵̢̫̙͊e̴̡̫͕͘͘r̴͕͉̘͋͑͒i̵̢͚͇͋̿̓n̵̢͍̦̒͒͠g̸͚͍̻̽͘ i̵͙̺͐̕͝s̸̪͙̿̿̽.̵͍̪̦͋͠͝.̵͍̟̞̿͋.̵̺̼̘͌͛̕ d̴̡̘̪̽͝e̴̟̞̔̚͜͝l̵͔̻̞͐̐̒i̴̞͓̽̈́̕c̴̢̻̪̒͛i̴̞̼͕͆̒ö̴͙̝͎́̈́͊u̸͍͍͙̿͌̽s̴͇̻͘͝͝.̴̢͍̪̿͘͘.̸̠͉͍̒͊͠.̸̡͙̠̐̓͝ _

Carmelita let out another shuttered sob. She hated those voices. She hated them  _ so much. _

Her eyes slowly closed as she laid there. Beaten. Bloodied. Broken.

_ 𝒴𝑜𝓊... 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃 𝑜-𝒸𝑒𝒶𝓃... 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓈~... _

A blinding light pierced Carmelita’s eyelids, a beautiful voice filling her head…

_ 𝒲𝑒𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂… _

Her body began to heal…

_ 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈... 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒~ 𝒶 𝓇𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂~... _

Her mind began to clear…

_ 𝒴𝑒𝓉... 𝓂𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒾𝒹𝑒... 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒~... _

𝐹𝓁𝑜𝓌-𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒...

𝒯𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽,... 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝓁𝒾𝓂𝒷…

Carmelita slowly began to sit up, feeling restful, as if she’d been sleeping for a while.

She rubbed her head, looking to where the shimmering light was,

And there,

In part of her destroyed wall,

Was the angel she had seen earlier, almost forgotten about,

And several glittering, translucent bodies.

* * *

Violet glanced at the ghost-like Isadora,

“Thanks, Isa.”

“My pleasure. I’ve been wondering when I was going to be able to use that ability.” The poet said, her voice echoing.

“It’s… so wild,” Klaus said, sounding the same, “How our powers can even reach through into… a place like this…”

Lilac cleared her throat,

“Your singing was… beautiful, Isadora.”

Nick rolled his eyes. Duncan snorted.

“A-ah! Th-thank you- I-!” The poet stuttered.

“Enough with the flirting.” Quigley said, going to Violet’s side, “We need to focus-”

“Says the lovesick  _ dipshit  _ who literally tried to  _ tackle  _ Violet when he first saw her.” Nick scoffed, “Except we can’t physically touch her right now. Bummer, huh, loverboy?”

“Quit mocking him.” Lilac snipped at her brother.

Violet giggled as Quigley shot a glare in her mirror brother’s direction. Nick shrugged, smirking.

Carmelita looked at the bickering bunch, feeling confused but…  _ safe. _

“...Are you guys here to save me?” She said, her voice weak.

Violet’s attention snapped back to the red-head, to which she ran over to, falling to her knees at the small girl’s form,

“Oh, thank the Grand Creator you’re ok,  _ fuck,”  _ Violet cried happily, grabbing onto the girl’s hand, “You looked  _ super  _ messed up - did your nightmare do this to you?”

Carmelita gave Violet a confused look. Violet sighed,

“My name is Violet, those are my siblings and friends - more introductions will have to be saved for later - we need to get you out of here.”

Carmelita’s eyes brightened,

“This is a _ nightmare!?” _

“Clearly.” Nick said, who was then slugged in the arm by his elder sister - “ _ oW! You-!” _

“Enough.” Klaus said, “We know how to get you guys out.”

Violet nodded to Carmelita,

“This is a realm of dark illusions - our souls are trapped here.” She explained, “Our bodies are still in our homeworld, but we can escape once our souls are freed from this place.”

“All it’ll take is a little love and trust.” Duncan smiled.

Carmelita looked up at them.

This was the first time someone - and more than one person, for that matter -  _ cared  _ about her. And not just because she was a product of money-centered lineage.

“... _ Th-thank you…”  _ Carmelita said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Violet smiled at the red-head, bringing her into a tender hug. Carmelita held onto the older girl tightly, sobbing into her shoulder.

* * *

Lunari paced back and forth in the living room behind the couch where the Baudelaire parents, Snicket man, and two toddlers had huddled. It was an  _ agonizing  _ wait. She  _ hated  _ it.

There was some chiming-

Arisa’s communicator orb was ringing - it appeared beside the woman’s bowed head.

However, the bunny woman was busy at the moment, clearly. Lunari blinked at it, shocked.

The draconic lyn then carefully crept over, plucking up the orb, poking at it,

There was some ungodly screeching on the other end, then Kira’s panicked voice came through,

“ARISA - WE FOUND THE -  _ RUBY FOR THE LOVE OF THE GRAND CREATOR BE  _ **_CAREFUL!_ ** \- WE FOUND THE QUAGMIRE PARENTS BUT THEY’RE UNCONSCIOUS-”

Lunari felt a tinge of both relief  _ and  _ panic.

“THERE’S A BIGASS FUCKIN’ MONSTER, THOUGH,” Ruby yelled, “THIS THING IS GONNA  _ FUCK UP OUR SHOP _ IF WE DON’T GET HELP-!”

Lunari breathed deeply,

“A-Arisa is b-busy with the ch-children a-at the moment - but I w-will s-send the other two s-sisters.”

“...THEY’RE NOT BUSY!?” Kira yelled, annoyed.

“HELL YEAH! SUZE ‘N’ HAN!” Ruby screamed happily, “REINFORCEMENTS TIME,  _ BAYBEEEE!!” _

Kira groaned audibly, more crashing and thrashing heard over the orb, “ _ HURRY!  _ THIS NIGHTMARE IS RELENTLESS!”

And the line cut out.

Lunari brought out her own communicator orb and contacted two more women-

A motherly cat woman and a feral fae cowgirl.


	25. Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love... is the most powerful emotion of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.

“I trust you.” Carmelita said, her voice muffled against Violet’s shoulder. Violet smiled, pulling away from the red-head,

“Let’s get the _fuck_ out of here.”

She stood up, offering a hand to the small girl,

Who quickly took it, standing up with her.

The two girls walked over to the translucent group.

“Welcome to the club, little baby.” Quigley said happily, “ _And_ the _Violet Fanclub,_ too, really.”

Duncan whacked him on the back of the head. Isadora giggled.

“N-no, he’s right.” Klaus muttered, “There’s a fanclub… she’s the best older sister, really.”

Lilac squinted at him.

“I’VE KNOWN HER FOR LONGER THAN YOU!” Klaus yelped in defense, causing Nick to howl with laughter.

Carmelita giggled.

She liked these new friends. The red-head squeezed Violet’s hand, smiling.

“Let’s get you idiots out of here - we’ll be right over after you guys wake up.” Quigley said, smirking. 

“The spell should be simple enough - Arisa, Jacquelyn, and Olivia are helping us.” Lilac calculated, “With that much added power, on such a high scale, this’ll be dangerous, but a piece of cake…”

“...Hopefully.” Nick breathed.

Violet hummed,

“We’ll be fine. _That fucking bastard can eat shit.”_

* * *

Kira ran around the massive nightmare, creating shimmering, opaque platforms of magic as she ran on the air. Ruby kept throwing blade after blade into the beast’s eyes, puncturing them, spraying blood-like liquid and dark ooze everywhere.

“WHEN DID YOU SAY THEY WERE COMING?” Ruby yelled. She was _very_ worried about the nightmare, but _more_ excited to see her other two sisters again.

Well, Arisa’s sisters were all related by magic and mutual backgrounds, rather than blood.

Besides that-

“SOON. HAVE PATIENCE-” Kira called out, tying more of the beast’s limbs down.

The nightmare had taken a similar form as the one from the Quagmire mansion, but with an even _bigger_ form - a beetle. A beetle with dark, blue crystals jutting out of its back, mocking the Quagmire sapphires. However a melted, human-like head sat at the front, an insect-like maw reaching out to snap at them, threatening to slice their bodies in half.

Dozens of beeding, bloodshot eyes - save for the already destroyed ones - stared in all directions, angry and bulging.

The hellish screams filled the room.

“HONESTLY I WOULDA THOUGHT THE SCREAMING WOULD’VE WOKEN THEM UP BY NOW!” Ruby called out, summoning a large, glittering white sythe, severing several of the rotting, human-like limbs of the nightmare.

Kira shook her head in annoyance.

Suddenly,

A loud, long, yell was heard-

 _“_ **_YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!_ ** _”_

Ruby threw her sythe into the ground, landing onto the handle with with ease,

“ _THEY’RE HERE!”_ She called out with glee.

A large, glittering door slammed closed, two radiant forms coming blasting into view, illuminating the dark, damp underground room.

“LADY SUZE! LADY HANNAH!” Kira called out, “EXCELLENT TIMING - WE ARE IN NEED OF YOUR AID-”

“ _NO SHIT, SHERLOCK! TIME TO GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!”_ Hannah called out. She shot a grappling hook, clinging to the ceiling, swinging upward,

Summoning her dual machine pistols,

And began to fire furiously at the nightmare, which screeched out in pain.

“ **HELLFIRE AND BRIMSTONE, SISTERS! LET’S GET THIS SHIT!** ” Hannah screamed out in glee. Suze only shook her head, landing onto her feet with ease. The _kemonomimi’s_ cat tail swayed carefully as she moved her arms around to an invisible beat, her hands carefully splayed out,

Several glittering shards of ice formed around the nightmare, glimmering in a beautiful soft green light.

Ruby plucked her scythe from the ground, holding it at the ready.

“When I say go,” Suze said, her hands shaking, “ _Eliminate the beast.”_

The other women nodded, Kira summoning several more gorgeous ribbons of light, wrapping them around the nightmare’s limbs. Hannah summoned a massive rocket launcher-like weapon, aiming it carefully at the beast.

Ruby stuck out her thumb, aligning it with the nightmare’s glittering crystal-like growths.

Suze moved one foot back, throwing her arms forward, 

“ **_G O !_ ** _”_

All at once,

Kira yanked on the ribbons, pulling the creature’s limbs to its middle,

Ruby grabbed ahold of her scythe, jumping up, the beginning to spin wildly (“ _SSSPEEEEEEEEEN!”_ ),

Suze’s shards punctured the nightmare,

And Hannah’s massive, celestial rocket shot directly into the nightmare’s maws.

With the creature’s screeching, thrashing, and crashing,

There was an _explosion_ of multi-colored light,

And stardust began to fall gently around them.

Kira collapsed to her knees, exhausted. Ruby’s scythe stuck into the wet stone behind where the beast once was, landing onto the handle, sliding down with ease. Hannah landed next to Suze with a great _thump,_ and Suze took in a deep breath,

“Excellent work, ladies.”

Kira staggered as she got up,

“How in the _Universal Collection_ are you lot not _debilitated_ by such a battle?”

Hannah smirked, “Something~, something~... centuries and centuries of work!” She replied, giving her rocket launcher a loving pat.

“YEAH, what SHE said!” Ruby yelled from the other side of the room, pulling her scythe out of the wall.

“...I’m older than all of you, and yet,” Suze grumbled, “Why do I feel terribly tired when I come around you two?”

“Good question!” Hannah grinned, walking over, “Nooo~ idea!”

“Get it, _gramma.”_ Ruby giggled.

Suze groaned, then looked to the Quagmire parents-

“...We need to focus on the task at hand, sisters. ...And Kira.”

Kira exhaled deeply,

“...Right.”

* * *

Violet led Carmelita out of her nightmare, and into the infinite void.

“...It’s… quiet.” The red-head said softly, “I can… hear my ears ringing… and the whispers…”

“Remain steadfast.” Lilac said gently, “Do not let the illusions control your mind.”

Carmelita only nodded.

The opaque forms of the others gathered in a circle, Violet leading Carmelita to the center.

The inventor then lifted up her staff - it began to glimmer brightly - and she stabbed its end into the “ground”.

Quigley threw the tip of his keyblade into the ground,

Along with Duncan and his blade,

Nick and Klaus threw a foot down with great force,

Isadora with her staff’s end,

And finally,

Lilac summoning her phoenix, it fluttering by her side.

“ _Beyond this world,_

_We call out for you,”_

Violet began, Carmelita watching the dream weavers with awe.

“ _To save us two,_

_Before the end,_

_To wake us from,_

_This nightmare’s grasp,”_

They prayed deeply, Lilac’s phoenix circling them all,

“ _Release our souls,_

_Free us at last!”_

There was a single, loud, heavenly bell. Lilac’s phoenix landed gently onto Violet’s staff, disappearing into a flash of bright light-

And their view…

Went white.

* * *

Those who were caught in the spell awoke suddenly, breathing heavily. Isadora’s lantern was chiming loudly.

“You need to go back. _Now.”_ Arisa said, waving her hands upward, “There’s no time to lose. My magic can only last so long - it can only hold off The Shadows for _so long_ \- go, _go!_ **_Go!_ ** _”_

Lilac and Isadora nodded, Quigley already stumbling up, rushing toward the cottage’s exit.

Arisa turned to Lunari,

“How are my sisters?”

Lunari blinked, “Ah, th-they’re fine, I-I think? Th-they found the Q-Quagmire parents - how d-did you?”

“Sisterly telepathy.” The bunny woman joked,

“I’m sure the Quags will be happy to see their ‘rents back. All safe ‘n’ sound.”

The teens burst through the wreckage of the fallen office where Carmelita and Violet were taken,

To find the two girls trapped, wrapped in a thick, dark ooze.

Carmelita was gasping for air, while Violet was pulling at the slime, trying to forcefully break herself free.

 _Isn’t that just like her._ Klaus rolled his eyes.

“HEY! Cakesniffers! _GET ME OUT OF THIS SHIT!”_ Carmelita cried out desperately.

“Who-whatters, now?” Duncan asked, running up to her.

“Some sort of insult,” Nick sighed, “Just ignore it.”

Isadora squinted at her, “Hey, we _saved_ your ass just now!”

Carmelita whined, “ALRIGHT, _alright!_ I’m _sorry!_ NOW GET ME OUT OF THIS - _IT’S MAKING ME FEEL REALLY WEIRD!”_

Quigley rushed over to Violet, placing his hands onto the ooze,

“Weird..?”

Violet shuddered,

“You… don’t want to know.”

Their hands began to glow as the teens placed them onto the goop, it melting away. Quigley breathed a sigh of relief as he and Isadora caught Violet in their arms,

“Oh, God, babe, I’m _so sorry-”_

“Baby, you’re fine, really - ‘motherfucker barely did a thing to me. I think.” Violet said, wrapping her arms around the cartographer.

Klaus grumbled upon hearing the sweet pet names.

Carmelita dropped down to the floor with ease, Duncan and Nick helping her stand up,

“Th-that… fucking… _sucked…”_ The red-head shivered.

Lilac smiled softly,

“You’re safe now, though. Let’s go home.”

Carmelita blinked,

“...Home?”

Nick grumbled,

“Have you heard from your parents?”

The red-head looked away, staying silent.

“Eh, figures. Probably got fucked up by The Shadows already.”

“ _NICK LIAM-”_ Lilac began.

Violet chuckled, “He’s not wrong. You should’ve seen how terrible her parents were.”

“... _What?”_ Klaus asked softly.

Violet hummed, “They’re… they weren’t good people, bud”

Lilac cleared her throat. She wasn’t wrong.

Carmelita knew this as well.

“Let’s just get the hell out of here before something else fuckin’ happens.” Quigley grumbled.

 _“Y̴͍͚͛͛͝ö̵̦͔̪́͘͝u̸̡͙̙̔͋ r̵̢͚̞͐̒̚e̴͍̝͊̽̽a̵̢͖̼͑͒l̵͉͕̪̽l̵̺̼̻̔̽̈́y̸̦̪͇͊̓͊ t̴͇̙̪̓͒͝h̸̢͉̫̒̾̈́i̵̡̦̚͜͝n̴̪͚̦͋̚̚k̵̫͖̝͘͠͝.̴̼͇͙̓͛̈́.̵̞̼͆̈́̔͜.̴̡̝̻̓͊̓ y̵̘͙͐͆͜o̴̟̙̟͑͑̽u̴̡̫̐̓͝ c̸̼͙͛̔͛a̵̠̘̕͜͝n̵̡̙͉̽̽̓ u̴̫̼͇͌̓͘n̸͙͇͙̽͝͝d̸̡̪͉̿̔̓e̵̢̦͙͛̈́͝r̸̢̫̞͐͛̕m̴̝̻̽̚i̸̢͓͓̐͝n̴̻͚̺͐̽̈́e̴̢̠̠̒̽͘ m̴̺̦͍͋͌̓e̸̡͙͉͋̓̒.̴̫͎̘̐̚͝.̴͔͍͉͛̈́̔.̸̦̻͒͘͜?̸̡͕̞͑͆̚‘_ A sickening voice came, causing all the teens to grab onto their heads in pain.

“DID HIS VOICE GET FUCKING WORSE!?” Klaus yelled.

Nick growled, “UNFORTUNATELY, YES!”

“QUIGLEY, OPEN A PORTAL, NOW!” Lilac screamed out.

_“O̵̡͉͇̓͘͘h̴̪͎͍̐̿͠.̵̪̝̦̾͝.̵̘̠̘͆̒.̵̢͖͕̈́̓̈́ s̴͓̺͎̈́̈́͠o̴͚̠̝͐̽ m̵̡͎͒̚͘͜a̵̝̻͓̓̽͆n̵̡͖̘͘͝y̴̡̪͕̚ l̵̡̡̘͋͊̔i̸̫̦͙̔͛͑t̵͇̝͛̓͒͜t̸̫̞̽̓̚͜l̵͎̺̙̓͘e̴͎͚͋̒͌ t̴͎̟͊͘̚͜o̵̺͇͉͊̿y̵̺͙͍̾̓̕s̵̝͇̟͋̈́͑.̵̠͔̈́̈́͋.̸̢͔͎̓͝.̸̘͙͉͆͛͠ f̵͔̫̟̓̓̒o̵͇͉͖̓̾r̴͇͖̓͑͘͜ t̵̫̼͕̓͌͝h̸̫͙͐͌̕͜ë̴̟̝́̿̾ t̴̝̺̫͊͘a̵͍̟͋͘k̴̠̦͖͊͒i̴̙̠̦̒͝n̵̠͔͍̾͝g̸͉͚͖͆͌͘.̸̞̻̘͊̚͝.̸͔̫̾̕͠!̵̟̙͔̿̽͝”_

Lilac’s eyes snapped open.

_Oh fucking… oh HELL no._

Violet felt herself growl, removing her hands from her ears, gripping her staff tightly,

She breathed deeply, centering herself.

Olaf appeared suddenly, two massive, shadowy hands appearing, throwing themselves at the group-

Violet raised her staff, swinging it around swiftly, spinning in a graceful circle.

Her staff glimmered brilliantly, a massive cloud of glittering white fog appearing, raining over the teens.

The shadowed hands exploded into bursts of blinding purple light upon contact, causing Olaf to release a torrent of blood-curdling screams.

The others gazed at her in amazement.

“...Holy shit.” Isadora whispered.

Quigley pulled himself away from the gorgeous sight to quickly perform a portal spell, the door swinging open.

 _“GO!”_ Quigley yelled toward them, _“_ **_RUN!_ ** _”_

They wasted no time in doing so, running swiftly through the door, leaving an agonized Olaf behind.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind them, sealing off the twisted world. Quigley and Duncan stumbled onto the lush grass below, Isadora tripping over Lilac, Klaus falling face flat onto the ground. Carmelita somersaulted forward, landing flat on her back. Nick tried to gain his footing, but fell over onto his hands and knees,

“ _Shit!”_ The researcher swore, pushing himself up onto his knees, rubbing the palms of his hands tenderly.

Violet had landed on her feet perfectly, placing her staff firmly into the ground below. Arisa stood before them.

The inventor was glimmering far more brilliantly than before,

 _“I’m back.”_ She said simply, “And with a new friend.”

Carmelita groaned.

Arisa blinked at her,

“You’re channeling your anger into more… _positive_ emotions, little flower.” The bunny woman noted.

Violet nodded to the side,

“It’s better not to waste power on such negativity.”

The _kemonomimi_ smiled gently,

“Turn your fear and anger…”

“...Into courage and bravery.” Violet finished.

Quigley looked up at her, his eyes glittering.

“Right, then!” A tiny voice came, and in a puff of glittering dust, Kathrine appeared,

“Let’s get you guys ready for your next mission!”

Arisa turned her head slightly to the moth faerie, looking serious,

“Kira and my sisters have found the Quagmire’s parents.”

Isadora sat up quickly, staring at the two women.. Duncan was clutching onto Klaus, looking as if he was going to cry.

“ _WHAT!?”_ Quigley gasped out, getting to his feet, “WHADDAYOU MEAN!? _WHERE ARE THEY!?”_

“They were being kept within the tunnels - within the same state as Violet and Carmelita.” Arisa replied.

“...A neverending nightmare.” Carmelita shivered.

“...Hell on wheels.” Isadora swore, turning to Lilac, who then held onto her gently.

“Th-they’re safe, now, th-though.” Lunari called to them, walking carefully over,

“A-and they’ll b-be h-home with us, s-soon.”

The Quagmire triplets began to sob, joyful tears streaming down their faces.

* * *

Kira ran over to the still sleeping Quagmire parents, trapped within their gooey confines,

“Lady Suze, I require your aid to awaken these two.”

The cat _kemonomimi_ nodded, then running over to the elven woman’s side.

Kira placed her hands on one parents’ entrapment, while Suze placed her hands on the other.

Their hands glimmered brightly, white and soft green respectively, slowly melting away the pitch black slime.

“Why… why aren’t they waking up..?” Kira asked, deeply worried.

“...To call them from their nightmares, they must be with their loved ones.” Suze said softly,

“We’ll need to get them to the healing hall - their children by their side.”

Ruby blinked, “Their magic should be enough to wake them up…”

“At least they’re not dead.” Hannah said bluntly.

“ _Hannah.”_ Suze said, exasperated.

“What?” Hannah squeaked, “Am I right or am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right.” Ruby replied.

Suze grumbled, exhausted.

* * *

Upon the women’s return, Arisa and her sisters were overjoyed to see one another again, but then the tone became serious when the Quagmire parents were addressed.

The triplets fell into even _more_ of a sobbing mess upon seeing their unconscious parents.

Kira explained that they could come along with her to the healing house to awaken them.

After a few minutes of calming down, Kira and the Quagmires went off to Lumiette, Quigley opening a portal door for some fast travel.

After they’d left, Beatrice, Bertrand, and Lemony ran out, toward the others,

Making a beeline for their daughter.

Violet.

“ _VIOLET! Oh God, VIOLET! MY BABY GIRL!”_ Beatrice cried out, grabbing up the short inventor into her arms,

 _“I’ll kill him!_ **_I’LL KILL HIM!_ ** _”_

Violet wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, beginning to quietly cry.

The girl would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared.

“...I th-thought I’d never see you guys again…” Violet admitted, her voice muffled against her mother’s neck.

Bertrand and Lemony brought the two into a tight hug. Klaus ran over and clung to them as well, and they wrapped him up into the family hug.

Lilac looked on sadly, Nick looking away.

Bertrand opened his eyes,

And slowly offered a hand to the two,

“...You’re Baudelaires.”

Nick whipped his head to attention. Lilac’s eyes widened,

“... _What?”_

“You are family as well. Regardless if you’re from another reality.” The man said kindly.

Violet looked back at them with kind, wet eyes. Klaus did the same, nodding.

Lilac swallowed hard, trying to hold tears back,

Running toward them.

Hot tears fell from Nick’s eyes as he did the same.

The two collided with the group, and they all fell into a bittersweet family reunion.

Meanwhile, Carmelita looked on sadly. Feeling empty.

Ruby walked over to the girl,

“So you’re Carmi, huh?” The wolf _kemonomimi_ asked, looking down at her.

Carmelita only nodded,

“You know my name..?”

“‘Course!” Ruby replied, “Your ‘cuz wouldn’t stop talking about you since we mentioned you!”

Carmelita stared up at her in disbelief,

_“Wh… which cousin?”_

“Amelia, sweetheart!” The wolf woman said, smiling.

 _“TAKE ME TO HER!”_ Carmelita called out urgently, causing Ruby to give a toothy grin,

“Gladly, little red! It’ll give us time to get you all set up.”

Carmelita gave her a perplexed look,

“S-set… up..?”

Ruby nodded, “You’re gonna be a dream weaver, stinker!”

Carmelita’s eyes glittered, “ _R-really!?”_

“Only if ya wanna.” The woman replied.

The girl squealed out in excitement, “ _Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!”_

“‘Thought so.” Ruby snickered, then picking up Carmelita, placing the girl on her shoulders. Carmelita was astounded with the sudden higher view,

“Will I be as tall as you and your sisters?” The girl asked Ruby, resting her chin between the _kemonomimi’s_ ears.. Ruby laughed,

“Maybe. Maybe not.” She grinned. 

They then made their way to the Sunshimmer Wood.

* * *

Carmelita hadn’t seen Amelia in ages. She thought her cousin had died long ago - her parents had told her that. Now she _knew_ they were lying to her.

And now _they_ were dead.

 _Serves them right._ She thought. She felt her stomach drop.

 _...Oh._ Carmelita swallowed, 

_My parents are dead._

Now she was an orphan.

The others had their parents. But she was an orphan - _no._ No. She wasn’t an orphan! You don’t need _parents_ to have a family. Carmelita had her cousin Amelia, and that was all she needed.

_That’s all I need. I’m not an orphan._

“Ruby?” The red-head piped up from the wolf woman’s shoulders.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Ruby asked.

They were weaving through the trees of the Sunshimmer Wood, the flora growing thicker.

“Are you gonna teach me how to use dream magic like the others?” Carmelita asked, watching as the glittering blooms, leaves, and glowing fauna began to light the way as the canopy above them thickened, hiding the solar body’s lights.

“Well, I’m gonna be busy with another mission, now that the Quaggy parents are safe ‘n’ sound.” Ruby replied. Carmelita frowned.

“But!” The _kemonomimi_ said, “Your mentor is a close friend of mine - her name is Rosette!”

“Rosette?” Carmelita brightened, “Is she pretty?”

“She’s a unicorn faun - she’ll teach you everything you need to know.” Ruby replied.

Carmelita thought for a second,

“How is Amelia here?”

The wolf woman hummed,

“I found her. Close to death.”

Carmelita’s heart nearly stopped beating,

“ _What?”_

Ruby took in a deep breath,

“Apparently she pissed off the wrong people. They wanted her dead. She was in… _very_ bad shape.” The wolf woman explained, “However, she’s fully healed, now - A dream weaver, too!”

Carmelita sat up on the woman’s shoulders,

“ _She’s a dream weaver!?”_

“‘Course! I’d let her mentor you, but she’s still got a lot to learn.” Ruby said.

“ _You mentored her!?”_

“Well, yeah.” Ruby giggled, “Obviously - we’re almost to my little place in the Dreamscape, by the by.”

Carmelita glanced around, noticing they were running along a glittering river, up some stone steps. It was dim, the only lights coming from the glowing flowers and various creatures.

“You have… your own place?” The red-head asked.

“Yep!” Ruby said as she ran toward a wall of thick, overgrown vines and leaves, covered in glittering blossoms.

Carmelita braced for impact as Ruby jumped through the vines, a plethora of shimmering butterflies scattering,

Ruby landed perfectly on her feet, then standing up tall,

“Welcome… to _Lycangrove village.”_ She grinned, plucking the girl off her shoulders.

As Ruby set Carmelita down on the stone path below, the red-head gazed around in wonder. The lively village was bathed in pastel yellows, blues, and pinks. A river weaved through the soft white and pink trees, which held gorgeous treehouses, viney bridges connected the houses together. Strings of crystal lights hung from the bridges.

In the center sat a clearwater pond, a large building with many eastern-asian-like towers rising above. Some towers contained trickling waterfalls spilling out, down to the waters below.

Water lilies dotted the pond, a wooden gondola or two moved through the water to the mouth of the river.

“Lady Ruby!!” A small cat lyn cried happily, _“You’ve returned!_ And safe and sound!”

Ruby grinned, “It’ll take a lot more than some _Shadows_ to kill _me!”_

Carmelita stayed near Ruby’s side, watching a small, excited crowd gather around them.

“Amelia looked after us well, and we kept your home clean!” A draconic lyn stated.

“Very epic, thanks a ton-” Ruby began-

“ _LADY RUBY!_ You brought the little starshine!” A sweet voice called out. It was like pleasant music, making Carmelita feel safe.

The crowd quickly parted, showing a radiant pink unicorn faun.

****

“Rosette! Super great to see you - where’s Amelia?” Ruby said quickly. Rosette hummed,

“Your darling girl is waiting for you and Carmelita in your home, sweetie. No worries.”

Ruby rose an eyebrow,

“Why’s that?”

Rosette looked at the wolf woman with gentle eyes,

“She didn’t want the villagers to see her fall to pieces when she saw her dear cousin again, my Lady.”

Ruby sighed,

“Understandable.”

Carmelita blinked up at Rosette. The unicorn woman looked down at her, then held out a tender gloved hand,

“Would you like to see her, little starshine?”

Carmelita slowly took the woman’s hand, still trying to fully understand what was happening,

_“Y-yes..!”_


	26. Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the sun sets for the moon's rising, and winter gives way to spring, you will find hope again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art/etc. credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.  
> -Taika and Selene OC's belong to Ruby from the VFDiscord. uwu

“Watch your step, little starshine.” Rosette cooed as she helped Carmelita into the gondola. Ruby ran ahead of them, splashing across the surface of the water, kicking up stardust.

“Where are we going? To Ruby’s house? And Amelia is there?” Carmelita babbled excitedly as her eyes darted around.

“Yes and yes.” Rosette giggled. The faun then pushed off the edge, and the gondola began to glide gently across the water. Carmelita curled her fingers over the edge of the long boat, then looking over the side. She gazed at her reflection and sighed.

A shimmering butterfly landed on her nose, causing her to jump back, looking at the little creature cross-eyed.

There was a call from the shore,

“Lady Rosette! Is that the girl the newest little dream weavers saved?”

Rosette waved to her - the woman on the shore was surrounded by round, gently floating cats and dogs.

“Hello to you too, Taika! And indeed she is!” Rosette called back. Carmelita whipped her head around, causing the butterfly to flutter off,

“Who’s that?”

“Taika, little starshine. She’s the village’s vet - she takes care of familiars.” Rosette smiled at her.

“ _Familiars?”_ Carmelita asked, “What’re those?”

Rosette hummed, “They’re little creatures that are bound to a being. They aid with magic and many other tasks.” The unicorn faun explained.

“Ah! Ok. I get it.” Carmelita lied.

Rosette giggled.

The red-head looked forward, past Rosette. Ruby’s home was very large, and near the center, an intricate clock sat, several trickling waterfalls falling down beside and below it. Ruby disappeared into the waterfall, the water quickly rising and lowering over her as she went.

“I don’t wanna get wet.” Carmelita piped up, pulling at one of her curls.

“You won’t.” Rosette said simply.

“Huh?” The girl asked. The gondola then began to enter the waterfall as well, but the glittering water didn’t touch them. It acted as a fancy doorway, it seemed.

Carmelita watched in awe as they slid past the watery barrier, small droplets of water landing on them.

“Well, perhaps a _little_ wet.” Rosette joked.

They were now in a tunnel lined with sparkling crystal lamps, moss with small blooms climbing up the sides of the curved walls.

The gondola docked at some steps, water lapping up them.

“Now my feet are going to get wet!” Carmelita complained. Rosette snorted, then picking up the girl,

“I’m sure you’ll be _plenty_ glad once you learn the platform spell.”

“The what huh?”

“You’ll know when you get there.” Rosette replied.

Carmelita scoffed as the faun woman hopped off the boat, then placing the girl at the top of the steps.

“...Thanks.” Carmelita said, smoothing out her dirty dress. She felt gross after being stuck in that nightmare goop.

“Can I take a bath?”

Rosette nodded, “Of course, little starshine. Priorities, though. Your eldest cousin is waiting.”

Carmelita had nearly forgotten!

_Amelia!!_

Carmelita then ran up to some glass double doors, and they swung open, revealing a sparkling ram woman,

“Oh, hello! Lady Ruby and Lady Amelia are in the foyer-”

Before she could say any more, Carmelita rushed past her. Rosette sighed,

“Apologies, Selene. We’ll be witnessing a small reunion, it seems.”

Selene’s eyes widened, “Oh! _Oh!!_ Goodness gracious, was that today? I’d forgotten about that one tiny little detail, it seems-”

“It’s just fine, darling, no worries.” Rosette giggled,

“Do you mind drawing a bath for Lady Carmelita?”

“Ah, of course, of course, yes. I’ll do that right away, yes.” Selene rambled, then taking off.

The faun woman hummed, then walked into the foyer.

* * *

“I- I- can’t thank you _enough,_ Ruby-! You-!” Amelia’s faint voice cried out.

Carmelita halted at the sound of her oldest cousin’s voice, then hiding behind a pillar nearby. She peered around - the woman was hidden behind a large bouquet of lilies on a center table.

“I didn’t do anything - the other kiddos - _those_ are the ones you should be thanking, hun.” Ruby explained.

“... _A… Amelia..?”_

Carmelita’s small voice caused Amelia to slowly move into view, Ruby stepping to the side. Rosette walked gently past Carmelita’s hiding place.

Carmelita’s breath hitched in her throat. It _was_ Amelia.

“You’re different.” Carmelita said, her voice wavering.

“I’m- I’m a dream weaver, little one.” Amelia said gently, “And… you can be, too. If you want.”

“I missed you.” The red-head said simply, getting teary eyed. Amelia’s lower lip trembled, and she nodded,

“ _I missed you, too, Carmelita.”_

The girl then rushed out from behind the pillar, colliding with Amelia in a tight hug. The two fell to the floor in joyous tears. Ruby wiped at her eyes, Rosette smiling softly.

Amelia felt warm and safe - Carmelita thought she’d _never_ feel this sort of safety _ever_ again…

“I thought- I thought you _died!_ They- t-told me y- that you-!” Carmelita sobbed into Amelia’s shoulder. The woman stroked the girl’s head, being careful of her claws,

“I know, Carmy, I know. They lied to you. Your… your parents lied to you about a _lot_ of things.”

“No fucking kidding.” Carmelita whispered pathetically, “Now they’re dead. Assholes.”

Amelia felt a twinge of panic, but it quickly slid away,

“No surprises there.” She mumbled.

“I’m an orphan.” Carmelita mumbled, upset.

Amelia hummed,

“No, you’re not.”

Carmelita looked up at her cousin with wet eyes.

“You’ve got me.” The woman smiled down at her. Carmelita’s mouth turned up slightly.

She knew that. She just wanted to hear Amelia say it.

They talked for a little while more, Amelia showed Carmelita her new room, and Ruby explained that Rosette would be aiding the red-head in her studies to become a dream weaver.

“Can I… not do that right now?” Carmelita interrupted. Rosette blinked. Ruby nodded,

“We’ll give you some time to adjust, squirt. No need to worry.”

Carmelita sighed, “Thanks.”

Ruby then left once again, saying she had another mission. Rosette and Selene saw her off.

Carmelita was able to get cleaned up, slipping on a pleasantly pink dress and fuzzy socks. A shining sprite guided the girl to her new room, which seemed much brighter than the one she once had.

And it wasn’t dusty at all.

She wondered when she could see the other kids, again. She still needed to thank Violet for helping her.

And Olivia.

The librarian woman turned out to be not so smelly after all, she guessed.

At least Nero got what he deserved. She wished _she_ could have done it, though.

“I guess watching his head explode was enough.” Carmelita mumbled, sitting on her new bed, poking at the sprite playfully. It chimed at her curiously.

“I don’t know what you said, but I’m gonna assume you asked what happened,” Carmelita replied to the sprite, “You don’t wanna know.”

It returned an agreeing chime.

* * *

Within a dim room in the healing hall, the Quagmire triplets looked over their sleeping parents. The adult’s breathing was shallow, but the halfling nurse said they were stable.

“How do we- how are we supposed to, like-” Duncan began.

“Wake them up?” Isadora said, her gaze not leaving her sleeping parent’s faces.

“A simple solution,” Kira replied, “To a complicated thing.”

Quigley blinked at her,

“Huh?”

Kira nodded, “Hold hands, and pray. Use your magic, simply put.”

“Oh - mmmk, cool.” Quigley cleared his throat, taking his mother’s hand gently. Duncan nodded, then taking his father’s and Isadora’s. Isadora reached across to hold onto Quigley’s.

The triplets closed their eyes. For a while, nothing happened,

But then, a light…

Frederick and Melanie awoke, gasping out for air, panic rushing through them. The triplet’s eyes snapped open, and began to smile wildly. Melaine shot upright, frightened, causing Quigley to grab onto her arm,

“Mom- it’s ok! You’re fine- it’s fine! You’re awake, you’re safe-!”

Melaine looked from her dreamy surroundings to her children. Frederick looked… confused.

“Where..?” He asked simply.

“You’re in the Dreamscape.” Isadora replied, “And yes. This is all real.”

“You’re in for one hell of an explanation.” Duncan said, nearly deadpan.

The Quagmire parents looked in awed confusion at their glittering children.

“But at least you’re alive.” Duncan then smiled, hugging his dad. Frederick smiled gently,

“Right you are, Dunc. Right you are.”

* * *

“I LOVE THIS PLACE SO FUCKIN MUCH.” Violet yelled as she ran around the living room of the new Baudelaire cottage, “ALL OF OUR ROOMS ARE _HERE_ NOW - ISN’T THAT _WILD,_ SUNSHINE?”

“YEAH, YEAH!!!” Sunny called out in reply, running around Klaus. The bookworm sighed, tired,

“Please stop yelling.”

“Please keep yelling.” Nick said from the couch, fiddling with a 3DS.

Lilac groaned as she peeked from the kitchen,

“Please shut the fuck up. I’m going to throttle you.”

Violet ran over, smacking the door, causing Lilac to jolt, “Make me, bitch!”

Lilac squinted at her.

Bertrand walked into the living room,

“Be nice, kids.”

“Don’t wanna be nice. Want to be… loud!” Solitude called out from the floor in front of the couch Nick lay on. The researcher patted at the little one’s head supportingly.

Lilac grumbled as their mother opened the doors all the way,

“Dinner’s almost done - I am _so_ thankful for these little sprites. Me? Cooking? Lord, _no.”_ Beatrice announced.

Lemony moved past Bertrand, “You could have asked me, love.”

Beatrice gave him a look,

“Sweetie, you only know how to make rootbeer floats.”

Bertrand stifled a laugh.

“I want a rootbeer float.” Violet said. Lilac hummed, “I’m sure you do. We’re having chicken pot pie, though.”

Nick’s eyes lit up,

“Oh fuck I love that.”

“Are we going to go see the Quagmire parents?” Klaus asked, “I mean, they’re your friends, right?”

Beatrice nodded,

“After dinner. I’m sure those triplets are doing their best to try and explain everything.”

“Kira’s there, too. I’m sure that’ll help.” Lilac pointed out.

“She’s loopy.” Sunny said simply. Solitude nodded, “Needs to sleep.”

“I’m sure she’s gotten _some_ sleep since then, right?” Bertrand asked. Lemony cleared his throat. The spectacled man looked at him, “...Is that a no?”

“That’s an ‘I don’t know’, babe.” Lemony answered. Bertrand shrugged.

“Anyways,” Beatrice said over the noise, “Shut up and come eat.”

Violet snorted, sliding past them. Klaus plucked up Sunny and Nick got up, picking Solitude up as he went.

It was nice to be a big family.

* * *

Jerome walked down one of the many hallways of the penthouse, carrying a tray with water and ice.

Well, he was carrying an _excuse,_ really. An excuse to see to the woman he was _very_ worried about. Again.

It was the same thing every day.

She woke up, got a drink, and locked herself in her office. Jerome had been trying to help her for years - she was a dear friend to him. They’d met at a V.F.D. party. She was at the bar. Alone.

Jerome always hated seeing people alone. Long story short, she ended up moving into his penthouse with him - he wanted to _help_ her. \

She was… severely depressed. 

She wouldn’t tell him why, however.

The man didn’t want to push it.

He just didn’t want her to drink herself to death.

Jerome stopped at the large door at the end of the hall, then tapping on it,

“ _Esmé?”_

There was silence. He sighed, hesitating,

Then pushed on the door. It creaked open.

“Esmé… I brought some water.” The man said, looking at the back of the office chair. It didn’t turn from the large desk.

“...Leave it.” The woman slurred tiredly.

Jerome gently placed the tray on a coffee table, then began to walk over to Esmé,

“How long have you been up?”

“...I dunno. Some sort of hours.” Esmé replied, “Why’re you here, ‘eromme?”

Jerome sighed at her making a mess of her words, “I came here to check on you - you need to rest. And perhaps turn on a lamp-”

“Don’t. ‘Light hurts my eyes.” Esmé spat suddenly, “I need t’finish this.”

“You won’t be able to finish _anything_ in that state, Miss Squalor.” Jerome scolded her as he came to the chair’s side. The woman muttered, irritated.

Jerome looked at the drunk, exhausted woman and gave a sympathetic sigh.

A few empty wine bottles sat around the desk, a half-empty glass near stacks of papers, broken pens, and torn letters. Esmé was sitting to the side, her head propped up by her fist, her other hand scribbling across a page. Her face was hidden by her long, blonde locks.

“...One of these days you’re going to have to tell me-”

“I don’t have to tell you a _thing.”_ Esmé snapped, sounding suddenly somewhat sober.

Jerome winced.

She grumbled.

“...I just want to know… why you’re… _upset.”_ The man tried gently.

Silence.

“ _Please_ , Esmé.” Jerome begged.

“Leave.” The woman said simply.

“Esmé-”

“Jerome, don’t do this.”

“ _Please-!”_

_“GET OUT.”_

Esmé yelled, turning her head, startling the man. He swallowed, looking at her face.

Her eyes were puffy and red, her face wet with tears. There were bags under her eyes - she hadn’t bothered to put on any makeup again.

She dropped her pen, looking away.

_“Sorry.”_ She whispered.

Jerome looked down at the floor before turning and leaving.

He supposed today wasn’t the day.

A shadow moved in the corner as the man closed the door, leaving Esmé alone.

* * *

Charles opened up the door to the Quagmire parent’s room in the healing hall. The Baudelaire teens hadn’t expected him to become a healer, here, but it seemed to fit him. He could speak again, but very little - a sprite aided him with his speech.

Beatrice entered first, rushing over to Frederick and Melanie with urgency. She hugged Melanie tightly, trying to be careful of the woman’s sore body.

The others followed, Violet colliding with Quigley, hugging him tightly.

Melanie blinked at them. Frederick laughed.

“Violet - we haven’t seen you since you were tiny!” Melanie said. Frederick nodded,

“Quigley wouldn’t quit going on and on about you.”

Violet’s face flushed pink. Quigley whined,

“ _Dad!”_

“Duncan kept piping in about Klaus.” Isadora noted, causing the journalist to push on his sister, glaring at her.

“You saved our children,” Melanie smiled, “And for that, we can’t thank you enough.”

Lilac nodded, “It’s fine, really.”

“I’m _so_ happy you two are safe!” Beatrice cried as Bertrand and Lemony went to her side, “I’m sure you’ll like it here - have the triplets told you about your cottage?”

“ _Just_ a little bit.” Frederick joked, “It sounds beautiful - perhaps this time things won’t go up in flames or destroyed by... shadow demons.”

Lemony sighed as Violet and Beatrice giggled.

“We’ll be neighbors!” Bertrand said excitedly, “We don’t have to avoid each other any more!”

“We won’t have to worry about V.F.D. breathing down our necks, or trying to kill you any longer.” Melanie laughed, relieved.

“Have you told ‘em about monty ‘n’ all them?” Nick asked the triplets. Duncan nodded,

“They still don’t believe the part about dragons being real.”

Isadora huffed, “I’ll show you my dragon, Edmund. THEN you’ll believe us.”

“Do you want me to pinch you?” Beatrice asked Frederick, who quickly put up his hands in defense,

“N-no, Bea. Your pinches are more like… _punches.”_

Lemony snorted.

“He’s right, you know. Simply awful of you, sweetheart.” Bertand grabbed onto his wife, who cackled.

The group talked into the night, and soon the Baudelaire family had to leave. Charles told them that the Quagmire parents could go home in a few days, once their bodies were fully healed from the nightmare magic’s influence.

* * *

Violet lay in her bed that night, looking up at her starry ceiling. Things were ok, she supposed.

But they’d have to get stronger if they were going to eventually go up against Olaf.

Something like that couldn’t happen again-

Then she remembered-

_The mist she’d created_ \- it had actually _harmed_ Olaf. _She had grown stronger._

Emotions were a powerful thing.

_Turn your fear and anger into courage._

Hopefully they’d all learn that before it was time…

“Carmelita can come visit tomorrow.” She suddenly muttered to herself, her brain hopping from one thing to the next, “I’m sure she’d like to see Lumiette.”

She eventually fell to sleep, curled up in her soft pillows and blankets, glimmering flowers beginning to blossom around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Melanie (Quag mom)'s name is pronounced "Mellaynee". <3


	27. If

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A break in chaos is something everyone needs. Take care of yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
> (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uq9AzTjAOTu3CfVb3tnZz?si=en-1Kki2SVW2m5_vCUdUsg)
> 
> make sure to go read my other fics uwu
> 
> main blog: https://hongmoondescendant.tumblr.com/
> 
> Art/etc. credits for this chapter:  
> -DAOKO GIRL music video  
> -All avatars made from Gaia Online.
> 
> (See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Arisa woke with a start the next morning. Her dreams had reminded her of something vitally important -  _ how could she have forgotten? _ She was so distracted with saving the souls from the children’s timeline that she couldn’t see what was right in front of her-

“Neomi, excellent, you’re here. I need to bend someone’s ear for a moment - is Kira awake, yet? I need to see her-” Arisa rambled, entering the living room. Neomi was lying on the couch, her hand in a bag of chips, scrolling through her communication orb,

“Uh - nah. ‘Don’t think so. She was kind’ve like. Dead the last time I saw her.”

Arisa gave the bunny lyn a look.

“Dead tired. Not  _ dead  _ dead-” Neomi replied.

“No, I get that.” Arisa sighed, shaking her head,

“I thought you had business in the Earthenrealm?”

“There’s a lull in the drama. I’m not needed at the moment.” Neomi replied, crunching.

“... _ Riiiight…”  _ Arisa said slowly, then inhaled,

“I suppose you’ll have to do - do you remember how many New Dreamers are dubbed each generation?”

Neomi glanced at her,

“I may be a dream weaver but that junk isn’t entirely my forte-”

“It’s literally the easiest number to remember because every other damned legend in the Universal Collection uses it.” Arisa grumbled, half annoyed.

Neomi sighed,

“Lucky number Seeveeeen~, or whatever.”

“Precisely. Seven. There were seven of us,” Arisa began, “ Kira, Zenith, Fleur, Olpha, Ygritte, Delphi, and I.” She listed off her dear friends on her fingers.

Neomi placed down her communicator orb and looked at the  _ kemonomimi. _

“We were taught by the past New Dreamers, as what usually happened, but…” Arisa sighed,

“The Shadows began to grow in power, things fell apart, and so did we.”

“Zenith’s dead, the others have gone missing, and only you ‘n’ Kira are left, right?” Neomi popped another chip in her mouth.

“...Basically.” Arisa replied, being half honest.

“So how’re you guys gonna teach each of those kiddos-? Wait-” Neomi sat up, wiping her hand on her robes, “Have you guys even found all seven, yet?”

“The two Baudelaires - their mirrors are  _ also  _ them, in a sense - and the three Quagmires… as well as little Carmelita.” Arisa listed off again, “There’s one left. I know there’s another child on that list of souls. We need to find them.”

“No kidding, but, like, still-” Neomi furrowed her brows,

“ _ How are you guys expecting to teach them any further when the gang’s not all here?” _

Arisa crossed her arms, standing tall,

“Nothing is impossible, Neomi. You know of this.” She said sternly, then looking upwards, looking at nothing and something, planning,

“I need to start trying to find them again.”

“...You gonna tell the kiddos?” Neomi asked. Arisa gave her a worried glance,

“...No. Not yet. There’s too much weight on their shoulders already. The time will come.”

* * *

A dream weaver sounds like a plethora of little silver bells or even wind chimes. They smell like fresh flowers and fruit - the first rain of spring. Their glow is like a comforting fireplace during winter. Their magic is dreamy and soft - when they hold you, you feel safe - at ease. All of your pain melts away.

If you are to ever feel alone... remember there is a dream weaver there. They are watching over you. You may not see them... but they can see you. You can sense them... they're there for you - a being of protection and grace.

Don't feel alone.

_ Never feel alone. _

* * *

The solar bodies’ light glittered on the water of the canals in the city of Lumiette. It was a pleasant day, a tad chilly, but pleasant nonetheless - winter was approaching gracefully.

The elder Baudelaires and Quagmires sat on some benches in one of the city’s parks, talking about recent happenings, trying to make sense of it all. Violet explained what being within the nightmare realm was like, which they all agreed to try and avoid from there on out.

“Though, I have to ask, Vi,” Klaus began,

“How the  _ hell  _ did you do that…  _ mist  _ thing? What kind of spell was  _ that?” _

“Whatever it was, it saved our asses, that’s for sure.” Duncan croaked, “We  _ all  _ would’ve gotten pulled in - or worse-”

_ “Don’t say that.” _ Isadora hissed at him. Duncan blinked at her,

“I’m just being honest!”

“You’re frightening her - you saw the way that asshole looked at the girls of the group, you damn fool.” Nick squinted.

“Wow I wanna kill him even  _ more _ now!” Quigley said with a twinge of anger, a sarcastic smile on his face. He then rolled his eyes, his face falling, “That’s my fucking  _ sister,  _ dude!”

“How do you think  **I** felt, you GENIUS?” Klaus nearly shouted. Violet placed a gentle hand on his arm. He glanced at her, 

“S-sorry.”

“You’re fine. You have every right to feel that way.” Violet replied. Klaus nodded, smiling slightly,

“Thanks, Vi.”

Violet hummed, then looked to the others,

“Does anyone know our next mission?”

Quigley shrugged, and Lilac sighed,

“I suppose we can just… look through the list ourselves? We all have one - on our communication orbs-”

“Are we sure we should be leaving right away? After what happened?” Duncan asked, his face pale. Isadora gently patted her brother on the back, her face gentle.

“...My magic is stronger, now.” Violet spoke up,

“I can… I can  _ feel  _ it.”

“Well-” Quigley began.

“If the rest of you do as I did… then you should get stronger, too.” The inventor said, standing up.

“Did  _ what?”  _ Klaus asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

Violet looked him dead in the eye, her face soft, but serious,

“Turn your fear and anger into courage.”

Isadora huffed, “You say that as if it’s easy to control your emotions.”

“It’s not.” Violet said simply, “But I know you’re all capable of doing it.”

Lilac slowly stood up, and Nick grumbled, “She’s right. Lilac’s phoenix is a result of that.”

The mechanic nodded,

“Something… in our reality… caused me to - I had no choice in the matter.” She stated,

“It was either be strong or let the weight of it fall on top of us.”

Klaus blinked at her,

“Let me guess - you can’t tell us?”

Lilac only nodded sadly to the side. Nick rolled his eyes, “S’just how it is, bud.”

“That’s just ridiculous.” Isadora spat, “What happened to you would  _ greatly  _ aid us in our endeavors - who do we need to meet with to get this figured out-!?”

“There’s nothing you or anyone would be able to do.” Lilac stopped the poet, “We were told that we’d be free of the spell once something happened.”

“Told by  _ who?” _ Duncan asked feverishly,  _ “What’s the something?” _

“Can’t say, and we don’t know.  _ They _ didn’t even know.” Nick replied.

Violet had crossed her arms, tapping her fingers in frustration,

“Whatever that  _ something  _ is, clearly it’s something  _ big.” _

Quigley rose a worried eyebrow, and Duncan’s eyes grew wide in fear. Isadora sighed,

“Isn’t that always the way..?”

“‘Seems like it.” Quigley muttered.

The air was cold with silence between the teens, the chatter of distant citizens and wind rustling the flora the only thing filling the space.

Violet cleared her throat, breaking the quietness,

“We should go and see Carmelita - maybe even bring her to see the city.”

Quigley brightened helpfully, “Oh, definitely! Let’s do that!”

“...Where’d she even go, by the way?” Duncan asked.

“To a village in the Sunshimmer Wood - Lycangrove.” Violet replied, “Arisa told us this morning.”

“Then let’s go!” Isadora smiled, “I’m sure she’ll be wanting some company.”

* * *

Carmelita peeked out the sheer curtains of her bedroom, looking out at the busy forest village. It was bustling with dream weavers, sprites, and various other magical beings working and socializing. Taika was busy teaching some youngling water familiars to utilize their magic in the lake below.

Carmelita sighed. Her eyes felt tired. She’d slept  _ ok,  _ but she supposed not enough.

Needless to say, she was a little frightened to sleep for too long… after what happened.

Her vision became fuzzy as she began to space out, lost in her thoughts, until someone shook her from them,

“Little Carmelita?”

Oh, it was that unicorn lady. The one who’s gonna teach her magic or something later. What was her name?

“...Rosette. Hi.” The red-head answered, turning to her.

Rosette smiled gently,

“Are you feeling alright? You didn’t eat much at breakfast today…”

Carmelita swallowed,

“I’m just…” She sighed,

_ Just be honest. Just. Be. Honest. _

“I’m scared.”

Rosette’s face fell into empathetic worry as she went over to the child, kneeling by the window seat the red-head sat on,

“Your fears are justified, little starglimmer. You need time to heal.” She explained, “You have witnessed and gone through things you  _ did not _ deserve. Allow yourself to feel.”

Carmelita felt her eyes water as the faun said these things, and as she finished, the red-head quickly hugged the woman.

Rosette smiled as she wrapped her arms around the small girl, holding her close. Something the red-head’s mother would never do.

Carmelita had never felt this much love, before. Her parents never cared. Nobody did.

But now she had healthy parental figures that  _ did  _ care. And she had friends - 

_ Violet. _

Carmelita knew that the others helped her as well, but… Violet was there first and foremost. The red-head pulled from the hug,

“Could I go see my friends?” She asked the faun. Rosette chuckled,

“Of course, little starglimmer.”

“Such good timing, those thoughts.” Selene said from the doorway,

“Your friends are actually here to see you!”

Carmelita’s face lit up, then jumping up and running past the two women. Rosette hummed,

“Perhaps good friendships will help her heal.”

Selene nodded, giggling. Rosette then followed after the small red-head.

* * *

“This place is  _ beautiful.”  _ Quigley said, spinning around in wonder. The treehouses above and the huts below were bustling with villagers and visitors alike, the shimmering lights of the crystal lamps dancing on the waters of the lake.

“I think we’ve established that every part of the Dreamscape is pretty nice looking by now.” Isadora joked.

Violet smiled at them, then felt her brother nudge her arm. She looked in the direction he was, and saw Carmelita and Rosette gliding along the water on a gondola.

The small girl was waving at them with excitement, and Nick smirked, waving back.

“ _ Guys! Guys!! Hi!!”  _ She shouted at them, the small boat then docking at the shore of the lake. Violet giggled,

“Hello, Carmelita. Are you alright?”

“No! But I’ll get better.” She said, hopping off the boat. Isadora and Nick snorted. Duncan blinked at her.

Quigley cackled, “Well said, stinker.”

“I’m not stinky,  _ you  _ are.” Carmelita said, walking over to them. She then turned to Rosette and waved,

“I’ll be back later!”

The unicorn faun smiled gently,

“We’ll be waiting. Be safe.”

“I’ll try!” The red-head nodded as Rosette pushed off from the shore.

“Who’s that?” Quigley asked, watching the faun woman turn back to the towers of Ruby’s home.

“That’s my mentor-mom, Rosette! She’s super nice and is close friends with Ruby. There’s also this ram lady named Selene. She’s nice too.” Carmelita rambled, making her way over to Violet,

“I never got to thank you for saving me, Vivi.”

Violet giggled,

“It wasn’t just me-”

“I know.” Carmelita blushed, “But you were kinda the one I saw first and you were there in person so, like, y’know.”

Nick leaned over to Quigley, “Someone’s crushin’ on ya girl…” He said out of the corner of his mouth.

Quigley snorted, “Yeah, and so is Isadora.”

Isadora’s face burned as she shot them a look.

“W-what?” Violet squeaked. Carmelita looked innocent as she stepped slowly over to Isadora.

“You’re a catch, Vi. A  _ real  _ good one.” Quigley grinned flirtatiously.

“Please shut up.  _ PleASE shut up.”  _ Klaus whined. Lilac grumbled, causing Isadora to look at the mechanic with soft eyes,

“You’re g-gorgeous too, Li!” The poet said, her face pink.

Nick and Carmelita began to laugh out loud at Lilac’s reaction - becoming a stuttering, gay mess.

Violet was still standing stiffly, trying to comprehend how  _ three  _ people could be crushing on her at the  _ same time. _

“Are we gonna _go?_ Or are you idiots going to keep being _stupid?”_ Klaus asked. Duncan had inched over to the bookworm,

Then gave him a sweet, quick kiss on the cheek.

Klaus felt as if his head had boiled over,

“ _ AaAaAaAaAaaaAAa-”  _ He nearly wailed, covering his hot face with his hands in embarrassment.

“You’re all fucking  _ disasters.”  _ Nick cackled, “ _ Holy  _ shit… anyways can we leave now? It’s lunch time and I’m hungry as  _ fuck.” _

Violet shook her head quickly, trying to come back to reality,

“R-right.”

“You and your fucking food, I swear.” Lilac said, trying to straighten herself out.

Oh, good pun.

Nick squinted at her as the group began to leave the village, “Fuck you, I’m aromantic and asexual and food is the best thing in the Universal Collection.”

“Noted.” Lilac called back.

“Valid.” Carmelita stated.

* * *

The glittering chimes of busy magic filled the air of Arisa’s library tower as the bunny woman stood in the center of the massive translucent globe once again - her fingers slid across the inside surface as she stared at image after image, word after word,

Coming up empty.

She sighed, rubbing her hands on her face, hopeless.

There were secrets that only her dear friends knew that they could teach the children - the New Dreamers of this age.

But who would teach who? Who would  _ she  _ teach? Sure, she had an idea, but-

“Lady Artisan..?” A familiar woman’s voice came from the entrance. The quick tapping of heels came in, breaking the  _ kemonomimi’s  _ string of thoughts.

“Ah, Lady Beatrice. Lovely to see you - please, call me Arisa. You are training to be a dream weaver - we are friends and colleagues, now.”

Beatrice stopped before one of the curved desks surrounding the massive globe,

“Ah, y-yes, of course. I… just had to speak with you.” She replied nervously.

_ This woman is leagues above me - all of us, really. Thousands of years old… power unknown… _

“I… never really got to  _ truly  _ thank you for taking care of our children.” The Baudelaire woman replied, “Please, consider yourself part of our family.”

Arisa smiled at her,

“I appreciate it, Beatrice. However, you needn’t-”

“Violet has called you mom a couple of times,” Beatrice interrupted, “‘A slip of the tongue’ she calls it… though I know better.”

The bunny woman felt a twinge of guilt hit her gut,

“I- I wasn’t meaning to replace you-”

“No, I know that. I understand.” The Baudelaire woman replied quickly,

“...I appreciate all you’ve done for them.”

Arisa only nodded, smiling. Still feeling a little guilty.

Beatrice sighed.

_ If anything… _

“...All you’ve done for  _ all  _ of us. My husbands and our friends included.”

Arisa chuckled,

“I’m merely doing… what is right. ...My job, really.”

“Don’t downplay yourself, Arisa,  _ please,” _ Beatrice placed both hands on the desk before her, leaning forward,

“I look to you as… as an _example._ I want to follow it.”

The  _ kemonomimi  _ hummed, clasping her hands together sorrowfully.

“... _ I want to be better.”  _ The Baudelaire woman finished.

Arisa only smiled, walking through the barrier of the massive orb, placing a gentle hand on Beatrice’s shoulder,

“And you will be. I know you will.”

Beatrice nodded, wiping an eye with the back of her hand.


End file.
